CA1253904A - Pivotable locking bar for patio doors - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

The locking bar assembly of the present invention is adapted to lock horizontally slidable, overlapping window doors, such as patio doors, in closed position.
One end of a locking bar is pivoted to a bracket, or pivotal member, for movement in between a stored vertical position and a horizontal locking position. A clasping member, carried by the bracket, resiliently retains the locking bar either in the vertical position, or against upward pivoting from its horizontal position. The bracket is so constructed that it can be secured to the sash or to the handle flange of one door when the two doors can be opened, or to the door opening frame when only one door can be opened.

Description

~L;353~Q~

FIELD OE THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to locking means for sliding panels, and more specifically to a pivotable locking bar for patio doors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The conv~ntional patio doors each include ~ glass panel in a sash, with at least one door being ca~ab~e o~
sliding movement relative to the other within tracks at the top and bottom of the door opening frame.
These patio doors are very appealing, for their ease of opening a relatively large area and for the amount o daylight illumination provided. However, these p.?tio doors are relatively easy to open by unauthorized individuals when provided with a lock. Of course, the underlying assump-tion for all these lock mechanisms to be efCective is that an intruder will never resort to smash the ~ntire glass panel to gain entry lnto the dwelling, because the noise caused by the blow and falling of glass on the ground would cons-titute appropriate deterrence for the intruder.
Standard security locks have fingers engageahle with selected notches in the top edges of the panels in their closed position, which is secured by an ordinaIy key-operated cylinder lock. These locks can ~e forc~d-by the pry of a crowbar or wedge, and can.be disengag~d by forcing steel chisels through the outer frames at the position of the lock.
In the last decade or so, a number of lGcking bars have appeared in the field, mounted to the fixed patio door at waist height, for pivotal movement around a pivotal member from an unlocked vertical position to a locked hori~ontal position. In locked horizontal position, the locking bar , - 1- "$

effectively prevents opening of the slidable patio door, by extending in between the outer sash of the latter and the opposite door jamb.
These pivotal members for the locking security bars are obviousl~" ritical in the efficiency of prevention of unauthorized ingress, but have remained quite primitive in their design. It is believed that some improvement could be brought to such a pivotal member.
OBJECTS OF THE ~NVENTION ' Accordingly, the main object of the invention is to provide an improved pivotal member for a patio door lock-ing bar, adapted to resiliently retain the locking bar in vertical position without having to fix a separate retainer member to the door or to the frame of the door opening.
Another object of the preseni invention is to provide the above pivotal member with means to prevent injuries of small children during pivotal thereof.
A further object of the invention is to provide such a locking bar assembly that will be adaptable to single- or double-hung glass panels patio doors.
Still another object of this invention is to provide such a loc~ing bar assembly that will be adap~ahle to patio doors which are both slidable or else only~ou~ is slidable.
Another object of the invention is to provide a locking bar assembly which can be mounted either on the door opening frame or on the glass door sash.
Yet, another object of the invention is to provide a pivotal member which resiliently retai~s the locking bar against upward pivoting from its horizontal position.

~253904 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The locking assembly of ~he present invention is adapted to lockingly retain first and second horizontally slidable panels against two oppositevertical surfaces. The first panel is slidable parallel to the second panel and rearwardly from the plane of the lattex. The second pane, is slidable from an opened position to a closed position.
The locking assembly comprises an elongated locking member and pivotal means, the locking member pivotable bet-ween a stored vertical position and a horizontal locking positian. The locking member locks the panels against the opposite vertical surfaces, wherein ingress of a person is thereby prevented therethrough, except of cour,e if smashing of the entire panel is resorted to. The pivotal means fur-ther includes a stabilizing member, adapted to resiliently retain the locking member either in vertical position or against upward pivoting from its horizontal position.
The invention is directed to window patio doors panels, which may be single- or doub e-glazed type and having a sash with or without a right angle handle flange. The vertical surfaces are door frame jambs. The pivotal means may be fixedly secured either on the sash or on the handle flange of the flrst door, or also on the'aoor jamh adjacent the first door. This first door may;or may no~ b~ fixedly ~
connected to the door jamb associated thereto, provided it locks with the second door when the locking bar is extended horizontally. The locking member, when extending in its horizontal positior abuts the sash of the second pa~ic door, accordingly with the type of door utilized.
Each pivotal means preferably comprises an open casing, defining a base plate and first and second trans-~ 2~3~

versely-bored side plates. The side plares hold a trans-verse shaft for pivotal action of the locking member or bar.
Support means is also provided to prevent the locking bar from pivoting below a generally horizontal position and whi-h also serves as a bumper.
The support means includes an intermediate plate fixedly secured flatly on the base plate, and intermediate the transverse sh~ft and the base plate. The inte mediate plate deflnes a bottom tongue, projecting in between the side plates below the transverse shaft and heing made of a shock-absorbing material.
A transversQ ridge is also envisioned to project upwardly from the tongue of the support means, and is adapted to contact the locking bar when in its hor zontal position.
A further important goal of this transverse ridge is to prevent injuries of sma~l children, which may playfully insert one finger in between the locking bar and the above tongue.
Of course, they are uncouscious of the danger of cutting their ~nger if they could be coneurrently tempted to lift the locking bar while~ their finger was in.
The above-mentioned stabilizing means consists of a clasp member mounte on the intermediate plate above the transverse shaft. The clasp comprises two resilient arms, spacedly biased one to~ward the other and ov~erla,~pin~
the top face of the underface of the locking ba_ in the horizontal and vertical limit positions of the locking bar, respectively. A certain force must therefore be exerted to pivot the bar between its two limit positions, since the bar must spread the two arms apart for its passage therebeteeen.

~ 253904 The pivotal member or bracket is provided with means for securing th.e same directly to a door sash or-to the door handle flange, or to a door opening frame.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is an elevation of the inner side of slidable patio doors in their associated door opening frame and provided with the loching bar of the assembly of the invention shown in its locked horizontal position in iull lines and in upright stored position in dotted lines;
Figure 2 is ~ horizontal sectional view of the;:p-.votal member or bracket as secured directly to the sash of one door, showing also the locking bar in horizo~tal position, this section taken along line 2-2 of Figure l;
Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the bracket assembl~ and showing the locking bar cut away;
Figure 4 is a vertical section taken along ].ine 4-4 of Figure 8;
Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 but showing the bracket assembly in top plan ViQW and showing the locking bar in section and in vertical stored position;
Flgure 6 is a vertical section of the bracket. with part of the locking bar shown in full line in horizon~al locking positiGn and in dotted line in vertical stored position; . ~ , .. .:
Figure 7, shown on the fourtfi sheet of ~rctwln~s, -~
is a plan section of the patio door assembly, with the locking bar assembly directly secured to the sash of one door and with the locking bar in horizontal lccking position;
Figure 8 is a partial elevation of the portion of the patio door arrangement provided with a locking ;~ bar assembly of the invention as fixed to the doo~ sash;
~ Figure 9 is a plan section taken along line 9-9 :

. ~. . ... ... . . .

1253~

of Figure 8;
Figure 10, seen on the third sheet of drawings, is a partial elevation of the door opening frame and of the bracket shown secured thereto, with the locking bar in vertical stored position;
Figure 11 is a cross-section of the patio door assembly with the locking bar in locked position, the bracket t~er~of being di~ectly secured to the door opening jamb, as in Fj~gure 10; `~
Figure 12 is a plan section of the patio door assembly and of the.. type wherein the sash of the patio door is provided with a handle flange and showing the locking bar assembly attached to said handl~
flange, with the locking bar in horizontal door-locking position;
Figure 13 is a side elevation similar to that of Figure 8, but showing the bracket directly secured to the f lange handle of the door sash;
Figure 14 is a cross-section taken along line 14-14 of Figure 13;
Figure 15 is a partial perspective view of a patio door in open position, with the locking bar in vertical stored position and showing how the bumper associated with the pivotal bracket abut;s the locki'ng ~:ar.~upp~rt secured to the opposite jam.b of t~e;door-openin~ ~rame; ~ -Figure 16 is a partial perspective view of th~
arrangement of Figure lS, but showing the locking bar in locking position and abutting on the locking bar support;
Figure 17 is a partial perspective view of another ; 30 arrangement similar to that of Figure 15, with the door . in open position; and Figure 18 is a partial perspective view corresponding to the arrangement of Figure 17, with the door ~not shown) - ~2S390~

in closed position and with the locking bar in horizontal position supported at its outer end by the bar support fixed to the door opening jamb.

DETAILED DESCP~IPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Figure l shows a conventional patio door assembly comprising a door opening frame 20 upstanding from the ground or floor G and twopatio doors 22, 24 horizontally slidable along rails in the door lintel ~5 ahd door sill 26 between jambs 27 and 28. As shown, the left-hand door 22 is 'he outer door and the right-hand door 24 is the inner dor~r. Those doors are slidable in of f set planes to an open overlapping position. Each door 22 and 22 includes one or more glass panes 29 glazing a door sash 30, each including outer and inner vertical sash members 31 and 32, respectively, the t~to ~nner sash members 32 being in registering relation when the two doors are in closed position.
The locking bar assembly of the invention, as shown in Figure l, includes a locking bar proper, indicated at 33, preferably made of tubular metal materia!, for instance of square cross-section, thP inner end of which is pivotally mounted on a pivotal bracket 34, which is adapted to be secured either to a door jamb 27 or 28, or to a door ~ash.
In Figure 1, the bracket 3i 1s d~rectly sec~ed to a door sash at approximately waist-height and the locking bar 33 1s arranged to pivot in a vertical plane between a lower horizonta1 locking position, shown in full ine in Figure l, and a stored vertical position, showr. in dotted line in Figure l. In said stored position, the two doors can be opened. ~he locking bar assembly furthér includes a bar support member 35, which, in Figure l, is secured to the inner vertical sash portion 32 of the ~25390~

inner door 24 to engage the underside of the free end ~f the locking bar when in horizontal locki.ng position~
The bracket assembly 34 is more particularly shown in Figures 2 to 5. It essentially consists of U-shape metallic casing 36 consisting of a base plate 37 and parallel side wa~ls 38, between which fits a body 39 integrally made of resilient material, preferably c~ synthetic resin, and including a base plate 40 fcrming a thickened lower portion 41 and provided at its upper end with a pair of forwardly-protruding transversely parallel clasping arms 42 integral with athickened upper portion 43. Since body 39 is mad2 of synthetic resin, with a certain resiliency, che clasping arms 42 are themselves resilient and can be spread apart, but will return to a normal posi~ion in which the distance between the two shoulders 44 formed at.t.he outer ends of the two clasping arms will be less th~n the width of the locking bar 33. At its inner end portion, thickened lower portion 41 is provided with a forwardly-projecting flat tongue 45, which has a friction fit with the bore 46 of a bumper body 47, preferably made of elasto-meric material, of generally rectangular shape and pro-vided with an upwardly-protruding transverse ridge 48.
Body 39 is fitted within the casing 36 in a precise position as determined by circular studs 49.protr~ding rearwardly from the base plate 40 of body~ 19;ànd;precisely ~..
engaging circular holes 50 made in the base plate 37 of casing 36. The exact positioning and retaining of hody 39 within the casing 36 is further obtained by the inturned ears 51 inwardly protruding towards each other from the top edge of the side walls 38 adjacent base plate 37 and over-lapping and contacting the top face of the thickene~up~er portion 43 of base plate 40, as clearly shown in Figures ~L2539C~
¢, 5, and 6.
Body 39 is further retained in precise position in casing 56 due to the presence of upper and lower ~ide shoulders 52 and 53 formed at the side edges of the base plate 40 of body 39, as shown in Figure 3, which engages and overlaps the top and bottom edges of the side walls 38 of casing 36 in the assembled position of the two members. Base Plate 37 has an upper and a lower ei~t~ndion 54, each provided with a transverse slot 55. Similarly, base plate 40 of body 39 has an upper and a lower extension 56, each pravided with a transverse slot 57. When the body 39 is assemblsd with casing 36~ slots 55 and 57 register with one another and at the top and bottom of the assembly to receive an anchoring bolt or screw for securing the bracket a.ssembly to a baeking surface. The side walls 38 of casing 36 are provided with two pairs of transversely-regi.ste.r.ir.g holes 58, which also register with transverse upper ~nd lower through bores 59 in the assembled positlon of the casing 36 and body 39. Through bores 59 are made through the thickened upper portion 43 and lower portion 41 of the body 39. Therefors, the assembly of casing 36 and body 39 can be anchored to a lateral supporting surface by means of bolts or screws extending through the holes 58 and bores 59. Both side walls 38 are provided with a~'pi~ot hoié 6Q

. .
with the metal surrounding each pivot hole-60 inw~rdL~ upset, as shown at 61.
The inner end of locking bar 33 is provided w~th registering pivo~ holes 62, which regist~r with the pivot holes 60 of casing 36 for receiving a pivot bolt Ç3 and a pivot nut 64, the nut having ir..ner theads for receiving .30 the outer threads of tlle bolt 63, both the bolt a~:d nut .~ . . . .

_ g _ ~253904 forming a cylin~ric~l smooth portion in sliding contact with the edges of the pivot holes. The head 63' of the ~olt 63 and the hea~ 64' of the nut 64 engage the recess formed by the respective upset portion 61, so that the heads will be flush with the outside surface of the side walls 38 when the bolt and nut are assembled and tightened.
A washer 65 is interposed between each side of the bar 33 and the r~spective upset portion 61 to positively guide the bar in its pivotal movement and to prev¢.nt lateral play of the bar with respect to the side walls 38. The base plate 40 of body 39 is provided with side notches 66 to clear the upset portion 61 of the side walls 38 when assembling casing 36 with body 39.
I~ desired, although it has not been found to be neces-sary, the whole assembly of the casing 36 and body 39 can be enclosed in a U-shaped cover 67, made, for instance, of strong plastic material and consisting of a base ~late.
68 to engage ~lat against the base p~ate 37 of casir..g 36 and of external side walls 69 to engage on the outside of the side walls 38 of casing 36. Base plate 68 has upper and lower extensions each with a transverse slot 70 to register with tr~nsverse slots 55 and 57. Side walls 69 have two pairs of transversely-registering holes 71 to register.with ihe side holes 5~3 and through bores~59..for securing the whole assembly to a side-sup~ortl~g;su~ace. ~
However, one of the side walls 69 is provided with an additional pair of holes 72 for initially securing the cover 67 to a si*e-supporting su-rface by means of bolts, screws or the like, ~.he heads of which are recessed within grooves i3 at the inside surface of the side wall 69. Thus, once the cover 67 is ~ecured to a side-supporting surface, the assembly of casing ~, body 39 and the pivoted locking bar ~25`3~3~4 37 can be inse.rted within the cover 67 and the resulting assembly screwed to a side-supporting surface by bolts or screws passing through holes 71, 58, and-bores 59.
Obviously, casing 36 with body 39 can be directly secured to a side-supporting surface or to a backing surface without the use of the reiinforcing cover 67. In practice, cover 67 is desirable only when the bracket is secured to a side-supportir.g surface as in the case of Figures 5 to 9 and only when it is expected that screws 74,-.which extend through holes 7~, 58, will be subjected to, large shearing forces.
Referring to Figure 6, it will be noted that in the horizontal locking position of the locking bar 37, ridge 48 contacts the underside of the locking bar, so as to maintain the 3Ocking bar in generàlly horizontal position and also to prevent insertion of objects in the free space below the pivot bolt 63 and underneath the locking bar.
In its horizontal position, the inner end of the locking bar also abuts against the underside of the thickened l:~pper portion 43 of the plastic body 39, again generally maintain-ing the bar in horizontal position.
In the generally vertical position of the locking bar 37, its lower inner corner abuts agai~st the ~ack : face of the ridge 48 and ltS top face;abuts ag.a:ins~; the -front face of thethickened upper portion 43. Again, objects .cannot beinserted within the space below the pivot bolt 63.
Also, the thickened upper portion 43 acts as a stop for the stored bar to prevent its rotation passed a generally vertical posi~ion. The bar is resiliently retained in this latter position by the clasping arms 42, as shown in ~`igure 5, the end shoulders 44 of which overlap the underside of ~2539(~4 the bar. To pivot the bar downwardly to its horizontal locking position, a certain forc~ must be exerted on the bar to ~read out the clasping arms 42, in order that they wiil clear the bar. Once the bar reaches its horizontal locking position, the clasping arms,42 are cleared of the h~ and move towards each other to over-lap the top side of the bar, as clearly shown in- Fi~ure

2, thus resiliently restraining the bar against upward movement.
As shown in Figure 1 and more clearly in Figures 15 to 18, a bar support block 75, 3S shown in Figures 15 and 16, or 76, as shown in Figures 17 and 18" is provided to positively maintain the locking bar 33 in horizontal bar-locking position. Block 75 is used when it is desirable to have right angle flange 77 for securing the block to a flat surface by metal ~crews 78 in the case, for instance, the door opening jamb is provided, on the side facing the door to be locked, with ribs or sealing flanges 79. In this case, block 75 has a top and bottom shelf 80, 81 for selectively receiving t~e outer end of the horizontal bar, depending whether the stopping block 75 is installed on the lef~-hand side or the right-hand side of the door opening. The block 76 is pre~erably used when the rear of~the block ~n be installed on a flat surface faclng the door to be;locked.
In this case, the block hàs a sing~e shelf 82 and the block can be installed also on the left-hand side or right-hand side of the door opening, depending on the door arrangement.
Either one of the blocks 75, 76 serve also as protector pad against which abuts the bumper body 47 ~hen the d~or is open, said bumper body protruding ~Z539C~4 outwardly from the casing 36, as clearly shown in Figures 13 and 17.
secause of its arrangement of anchoring holes and because of it symrnetrical construction, th~ ~oc~iP-g bar assembly of the invention can be installed in~different ways, with the pivotal bracket assembly either directly to a door-opening jamb or directly to the side of a door sash or to to a handle flange of said sash. It can also be installed for right-hand or left-hand aperatio~ IN
Figures L to 9 inclusive, it is seen that the assembly of the casing 36, body 39 and cover 67 are affixed sideways to the outer vertical sash portion 31 of the inner door 24 by means of metal screws 74 and in a such a position as to just clear the sealing flange 83 protruding from the left-hand jamb 27. In this case, the bar-stopping block 76, shown in Figure 17, can be installed on the facing surface of inner sash portion 32 of the right-hand inner door 24.
This last-named installation is nocmally used when both patio doors are free to move horizontally in either direction withln the door-opening frame. When one of the doors is permanently locked in closed position, as shown in Figure 11, wherein it is seen that a strap memebr 8~
locks the left-hand outer door in c'osed position, said strap 84 being screwed to the adjacent door ,amb and over- -. . .
lying the outer vertical sash portion 31 of ~he outèr door22. In this case,' screws 85 are passed t~ougn the registering holes 55 or slo~s 55, 51, and 72, if the cover 67 is used;
to apply the back face either of the cover or of the casing 36 directly t~ the face of the jamb opposite the door to be opened and locked in closed position.
Figures 12, 13, and 14 show that in the case that both doors be movable and that the outer door be provided ;''`

~ .

~ z53904 with a handle ~iange 86, the latter cna be used for fixing the pivotal bracket assembly, again using the slots 55 and 51 and also 70 if the cover 67 is used. The base plate of the cover or of the casing 36 is applied directly against the handle flange and attached thereto by means of bolts and ruts 87, as shown in Figure 13 and 14.
Figures lr; and 16 show an arrangement wherein the ~outer door is on the right-hand side, looking olltwardly to the exterior, in which case the pivotal brackst assembly is secured to the inner vertical sash portion 32 of the left-hand side inner door, with the bar-stopping block 75 secured to the right-hand door opening jamb 28.
In the arrangement of Figures 17 and 18, the left-hand door is the oute~ door as in Figure lu The bracket assembly is secured sideways to the inner vertical sash pori:ion

3? of the left-hand inner door and the bar-stopping block 76 is secured to the left-hand jamb 28.
Referring again to Figure 9, wherein the metal screws 74 are subjected toa shearing stress, it is possible, if found necessary, in addition to the use of the screw~ 74.
~o use a pressu~e-adhesive layer 88 between the contac':ing surfaces of the door sash and of either the COvf r 67 or of the casing 66, when the cover is not used. This pressure-adhesive layer can be applied ei~her to the cover-, !, , !
or the casing, with a removable or peelab~e p~otectiv;e ~ ' sheet, which is removed when the bracket is installed.
Figure 11 clearly shows also that the locking bar f of the invention can be used in association with patio doors which have a double-glazing.
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Claims (7)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A locking bar assembly for use between an abutment member and a slidable member of the type movable along a path between an open position and a closed position, comprising: a locking bar having inner and outer end portions, a bracket assembly, means for mounting said bracket assembly to one of said members, means for mounting said locking bar adjacent its inner end portion on said bracket assembly for pivotal movement in a predetermined plane about a pivotal axis carried by said bracket assembly between a locking position in which the outer end portion of said locking bar abuts the other of said members, and a storage position at substantially right angle to said locking position, in which said locking bar permits slidable opening movement of said slidable member towards said bracket assembly, resilient clasping means carried by said bracket assembly and engageable with said inner end portion of said locking bar for resiliently retaining said locking bar in either one of said positions.

2. A locking bar assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said bracket means includes a U-shape member defining a web and side flanges, said inner end portion of said locking bar pivotally mounted about a trasnverse pivotal axis between said flanges, said clasp means includ-ing a pair of resilient clasping arms carried by said bracket means transversely spaced apart, spreadable away, from each other by engagement with opposite faces of said locking bar during pivotal movement of the latter between said two positions and clearing and overlapping said oppo-site faces of said locking bar in either one of said two positions.

3. A locking bar assembly as defined in claim 2, further including a bumper member, of elastomeric material, fixed to said bracket means and protruding from said locking bar when the latter is in stored position in a direction towards the other of said members.

4. A locking bar assembly as defined in claim 3, wherein said bumper has a transverse ridge contacting said locking bar when the latter is in locking position.

5. A locking bar assembly as defined in claim 4, further including a bar-stopping block secured to the other of said members and facing said bracket means and supporting the outer end portion of said locking bar in the locking position of the latter.

6. A locking bar assembly as defined in claim 2, including a body, of resilient material, fitted between the side flanges of said U-shape bracket and pressed against the web of the latter, said body partly surrounding said pivotal axis and the inner end portion of said locking bar, and forming said clasping arms.

7. The locking bar assembly as defined in claim 6, further including a resilient body carried by said bumper member and extending between and proding from the side flanges of said U-shape member.