AU719055B2 - Pivoting lockable window security grill - Google Patents

Description

P00011 Regulation 3.2 Revised 2/98

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act, 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT TO BE COMPLETED BY THE APPLICANT NAME OF APPLICANT: JOSEPH REGINALD WALMSLEY ACTUAL INVENTOR: JOSEPH REGINALD WALMSLEY ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: Peter Maxwell Associates Level 6 60 Pitt Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 INVENTION TITLE: PIVOTING LOCKABLE WINDOW SECURITY GRILL DETAILS OF ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION NO(S): PM 8798 17 October 1994 Australia The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to me:- 2 The present invention relates to pivoting, lockable window security grills and, in particular, to a locking assembly therefor.

Commonly, unlawful entry into buildings is facilitated through windows.

Conventional window locks only prevent the prising open of the window from the outside by manipulation of its frame. Window locks are ineffective where the objective is to smash the window glass. Once the glass is smashed, the intruder may clear a way through the window to enter the building or extend their arm passed the glass to manipulate the lock.

Security grills provide a more secure, if less aesthetically pleasing, means of preventing unlawful entry through windows. However, not all security grills are pivotally openable from the window, and those which do have this feature are, in the main, difficult to open.

S"It is an object of the present invention to provide a window security grill which can easily and rapidly open to allow the occupants of the building to 15 readily escape the building in case of an emergency.

too.

According to the invention, there is provided a locking assembly for a S° pivotally opening security grill of a window in a building, comprising a pressable button means mounted on a housing to which only •ooo an occupant of the building has access, 20 (ii) a button stop means mounted in the housing and adapted to be Sgo.

moved between a first position where it prevents movement of the button means and a second position where it allows movement of the button means in response to pressing, (iii) a flexible locking rod secured at a first end to the security grill at a position where, when the locking rod is moved longitudinally, the security grill will pivotally open, and having a locking rod head at a second end, 6/03/00 3 (iv) a pivotally moveable latch means mounted in the housing and adapted to lockingly engage the locking rod head so as to prevent longitudinal movement of the flexible locking rod when the latch means is in a first position, and adapted to release the locking rod head so as to allow longitudinal movement of the flexible locking rod when the latch means is in a second position, the latch means including a contact member having an inclined surface against which the button means is adapted to urge when the button means is moved in response to pressing so as to cause the latch means to pivotally move to its second position, the arrangement being such that the security grill is in a locked condition when both the button stop means and the latch means are in their first positions, and the security grill is in a release condition when the button stop means is in its second position so as to allow the button means to be moved in t response to pressing, whereby movement of the button means causes the latch means to move to its second position and so allow longitudinal movement of the locking rod for pivotal opening of the security grill.

Preferably, the flexible locking rod is housed in a hollow guide shaft through which it is adapted to longitudinally move, the guide shaft having two ends and being secured at a first of its ends to a back wall of the housing and being secured at a second of its ends to an external wall of the building.

It is also preferred that the contact member of the latch means has a conically inclined surface.

The latch means preferably includes a coil spring which provides a spring resistance against pivotal movement of the latch means from its first position to its second position.

6/03/00 In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig 1 is a perspective view of a preferred locking assembly for a pivotally opening window security grill, Fig 2 is a side view of the locking assembly of Fig 1 with the housing cover removed, and Fig 3 is a front view of the locking assembly shown in Fig 2.

The locking assembly shown in Figs 1 to 3 includes a tamper resistant metal housing 12 to which is mounted a numerical keypad 14. A release button 16 extends out from the' face plate 18 of the housing 12 and, as shown specifically in Fig 2, has a button plate 20 secured to a pin 22. The pin 22 passes through a hole in the face plate 18 and through a hole in a button 15 mounting plate 23 and is secured to a disc 24 of a diameter greater than the diameter of the two aforementioned holes. A coil spring 26 is positioned o longitudinally about the pin 22, and presses against the button plate 20 at one of its ends and against the button mounting plate 23 at the other of its ends so &boo:: as to apply a resistance force against pressure applied to the button plate 20 in the direction of the face plate 18. The normal condition of coil spring 26 is to force the button plate 20 away from the face plate 18, thereby bringing the disc 24 flush against the rear wall of the button mounting plate 23 surrounding the hole, as also shown in Fig 2.

Mounted in the housing 12 is a solenoid 28 which, in response to an electrical signal processed through a circuit board 30, causes a pin 32 to move between an extended position and a retracted position with respect to the solenoid 28. The electrical signal originates from a coded sequence of, say, four numbers entered on the numeric keypad 14 which, when correctly 6/03/00 entered, electronically causes the pin 32 to extend or retract as required.

Power is supplied to the circuit board 30 and from the circuit board 30 to the solenoid 28 by a battery which may be a 9 volt alkaline or rechargeable battery.

The battery is positioned in the housing 12 such that it is easily accessible for removal, replacement or recharging.

As shown in Fig 2, secured to the rear of the housing back wall 34 is a hollow guide shaft 36 axially aligned with the release button 16. The guide shaft 36 has a longitudinally movable threaded portion 38, the position of which may be screwably adjusted relative to the remainder of the guide shaft 36 to suit different thicknesses of walls through which the locking assembly is to be fitted. An end flange 40 of the threaded portion 38 is adapted to be secured against an exterior wall, and the back wall 34 of the housing 12 is adapted to be secured against an interior wall.

A flexible locking rod 44 extends through the guide shaft 36. There is a 0006 em OO S• 15 projecting rim portion 46 at one end of the rod 44 adapted to be secured to a frame member of a hinged security grill for a window, and a locking rod head 0e S: S0 48 at the other end of the rod 44.

A latch assembly is comprised of a latch plate 50 pivotally engaged to the housing back wall 34 by a pivot bolt 54, a latch contact member 56 having S 20 a conical end 58, and a coil retaining spring 60 secured at one end to a o, mounting portion 62 of the back wall 34 and, at its other end, abutting against *0000 O° the latch plate 50 so as to urge the latch plate 50 pivotally away from the mounting portion 62 and thus into a locking position with the locking rod head 48 of the rod 44.

The manner in which the latch plate 50 lockingly contacts or engages the locking rod head 48 may vary depending on the requirements, and would be well within the understanding of persons skilled in the art. The latch plate 6/03/00 6 can also be urged pivotally back toward the mounting portion 62 and thus into a release position with the locking rod head 48 of the rod 44 in a manner to be described hereinafter.

As shown in Fig 2, the plate 20 of release button 16 and the locking rod 44 have a common longitudinal axis. That axis is offset from the pivotal axis of the pivot bolt 54 and so the location of the latch contact member 56 is out of alignment with the plate 20 of release button 16, but not so far out of alignment as to prevent contact between the disc 24 of the release button 16 and the inclined surface on the conical end 58 of the latch contact member 56, as shown by the combination of Figs 2 and 3. When the pin 32 of solenoid 28 is retracted, the release button 16 may then be pressed against the resistance of the coil spring 26 so as to cause the disc 24 to urge against the inclined surface on the conical end 58 of the latch contact member 56, thereby applying a force laterally against the inclined surface and causing the latch plate 50 (to S 15 which the latch contact member 56 is secured) to pivot about bolt 54 in the direction of the mounting portion 62. As the latch plate 50 pivots, it moves Saway from the locking rod head 48 of the locking rod 44 so as to no longer lockingly engage the locking rod head 48. The locking rod head 48 together with the rest of the locking rod 44 is, as a result, free to pass through the guide 20 shaft 36 in a direction away from the latch assembly, thereby enabling the user to easily swing open the security grill.

The latch assembly may also be operated manually, as well as electronically as described above. Manual operation will require the replacement of the solenoid with a key operated deadlock operating similarly to the solenoid.

Various modifications may be made in details of design and construction without departing from the scope and ambit of the invention.

6/03/00

Claims (4)

1. 2. The locking assembly of claim 1 wherein the flexible locking rod is housed in a hollow guide shaft through which it is adapted to longitudinally move, the guide shaft having two ends and being secured at a first of its ends to a back wall of the housing and being secured at a second of its ends to an external wall of the building.
2. 3. The locking assembly of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the contact member of the latch means has a conically inclined surface.
3. 4. The locking assembly of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the latch means includes a coil spring which provides a spring resistance against °oe pivotal movement of the latch means from its first position to its second position.
4. 5. A locking assembly for a pivotally opening security grill of a window, l said locking assembly being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 6th day of March 2000 JOSEPH REGINALD WALMSLEY Patent Attorneys for the Applicant PETER MAXWELL ASSOCIATES