CN110998047A

CN110998047A - Locking assembly

Info

Publication number: CN110998047A
Application number: CN201880052661.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 大卫·格林伯里; 哈里·兰布罗; 萨迦恩·瓦兰迪; G·威廉森
Original assignee: Oregon Australia Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Oregon Australia Pty Ltd; Allegion Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2017-08-18
Filing date: 2018-08-17
Publication date: 2020-04-10
Also published as: WO2019033148A1; AU2018317489B2; AU2018317489A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a locking assembly comprising: a key cylinder configured to move a cam associated with the key cylinder in response to rotation of a key in the key cylinder; a bolt operatively associated with the cam and configured to move between a retracted position, a first extended position, and a second more extended position in response to movement of the cam; a movement transmission member for transmitting a movement of the cam to the bolt; and a catch mechanism for engaging and retaining the motion transfer member to prevent further extension of the bolt when the bolt is in the first extended position; wherein the cam is configured to release a catch mechanism for moving the bolt to the second more extended position in response to rotation of the key in the key cylinder. The invention also relates to a method of operating such a locking assembly, comprising the steps of: engaging and retaining the motion transfer member via a capture mechanism against further extension of the bolt when the bolt is in the first extended position; and releasing a catch mechanism to move the bolt to the second extended position by moving a cam in response to rotation of the key in the key cylinder.

Description

Locking assembly

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a locking assembly, and a method of operating a locking assembly.

The invention is particularly applicable to locking assemblies capable of operating in different modes. Where the locking assembly is used on a door, the modes of operation may include a latching mode (also known as a pass-through mode) in which turning of the door handle may move the locking bolt of the locking assembly between a first extended position and a retracted position, and a deadlock mode in which the bolt may be pushed to a second more extended position using a key in order to securely lock the door and make forced entry more difficult. It will be convenient to describe the invention in this exemplary context. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is not limited to the specific cases described.

Background

Locks are known which are capable of functioning in a variety of modes. Indeed, the applicant has sold locking assemblies operating in pass-through mode or latching mode, deadlock mode and/or privacy mode. As described above, in the pass-through mode, rotation of either door handle withdraws the locking bolt from the first extended position to the retracted position to enable the door to be opened. In the deadlock mode, the key is used to push the bolt into the extended position to securely lock the door and make hard-running more difficult. The privacy mode may be activated by a button or latch on the inside of the door and the bolt is prevented from retracting only by the outside door handle. Turning the inside door handle disables the private mode functionality, thereby permitting the door to be opened.

It has been found that conventional locking assemblies still suffer from reliability problems, particularly those associated with bolt movement when the locking assembly is converted or moved to and/or from a deadlock mode. For example, it is desirable to provide a new locking assembly having improved control over movement of the bolt. It is also desirable to provide a locking assembly that minimizes or even avoids the possibility of bolt "jumping" during its movement when the turn key is turned into a deadlock mode.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel locking assembly that can provide one or more of the above-described desirable results.

According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a locking assembly comprising: a key cylinder having an actuator in the form of a cam associated with the key cylinder, the actuator configured to move in response to rotation of a key in the key cylinder; a bolt operatively associated with the cam and configured to move between a retracted position, a first extended position, and a second more extended position in response to movement of the cam; a movement transmission member for transmitting movement of the cam or movement from the cam to the bolt; and a catch mechanism for engaging and retaining the motion transfer member to prevent further extension of the bolt when the bolt is in the first extended position. The cam is configured to release the capture mechanism to move the bolt to the second more extended position in response to rotation of the key in the key cylinder.

Typically, the bolt is configured to move between a retracted position and a first extended position in a pass-through mode or a latch mode. That is, turning of the key or turning of the door handle may move the bolt from the first extended position to the retracted position to enable the door to be opened. However, the catch mechanism prevents the bolt from extending further beyond the first extended position. The motion transfer member is released from the catch mechanism by the cam only when the key is rotated in the key cylinder for moving the bolt to a second more extended position, which generally corresponds to a deadlock mode. The locking assembly of the present invention thus provides an arrangement in which a cam associated with the key cylinder can act directly on a motion transfer member which in turn transfers movement directly to the bolt. In this way, enhanced control of bolt movement may be achieved. For the purposes of this specification, the term "cam" as used herein may be understood to refer to a protruding element (such as a lobe or a lug) associated with a key cylinder that moves in response to rotation of the key in the key cylinder.

In a preferred embodiment, the locking assembly includes a bolt driving member having a front end portion and a rear end portion. The bolt is disposed at or connected to a front end portion of the bolt drive member to move therewith between a retracted position, a first extended position and a second more extended position in response to movement of the cam. The bolt driving member is preferably a substantially elongated member and may be configured as a link pivotally coupled or pivotally connected to the bolt at a front end portion thereof. The bolt is typically configured to move generally linearly between a retracted position, a first extended position, and a second more extended position.

In a preferred embodiment, the movement transmission member is provided at or connected to a rear end portion of the bolt driving member and is configured to transmit the movement of the cam to the bolt driving member. In this regard, the motion transfer member is preferably configured to move in a generally arcuate or curved path for transferring the motion of the cam to the bolt or bolt drive member. The actuator cam associated with the key cylinder is configured to rotate or turn about an axis of the key cylinder in response to rotation of the key in the key cylinder. Thus, the cam may be arranged to directly bear against a portion of the motion transfer member to move the motion transfer member along its generally arcuate or curved path, thereby transferring movement from the cam to the bolt or bolt driving member. In this regard, the motion transfer member is preferably configured as a link that is pivotally coupled or pivotally connected with the rear end portion of the bolt drive member.

In a preferred embodiment, the bolt drive member forms an intermediate link between the motion transfer member moving in a generally arcuate or curved path and the bolt moving in a generally linear path. Thus, the front end portion of the bolt driving member may follow a substantially linear movement path of the bolt, while the rear end portion of the bolt driving member may follow a substantially arcuate or curved movement path together with the motion transferring member.

In a preferred embodiment, the capturing mechanism comprises: a capture member configured to engage and retain a portion of the motion transfer member when the bolt is in the first extended position; and a follower connected to or associated with the capture member and provided with a follower surface designed for contact or engagement with the cam. The cam is adapted or configured to contact or engage a follower surface to move the follower to release the catch member from its engagement with the motion transfer member to move the bolt to the second more extended position in response to movement of the cam by the key. In this regard, the follower is preferably resiliently biased (e.g., by a spring arrangement) towards the cam such that the cam contacts or engages a follower surface to move the follower and release the catch member against the resilient bias.

In a preferred embodiment, the catch member and the follower are substantially rigidly connected and arranged to pivot between an engaged position in which the catch member engages and retains the motion transfer member and a disengaged position in which the catch member is released from its engagement with the motion transfer member.

In a preferred embodiment, the catch mechanism, in particular the catch member, comprises an angled or inclined surface configured to contact or engage with a corresponding part of the motion transfer member when the bolt is moved by the cam from the second extended position back to the first extended position in response to rotation of the key in the key cylinder. In this manner, the motion transfer member may contact or engage an angled or inclined surface of the capture member for displacing or pivoting aside the capture member when the bolt is retracted from the second more extended position to the first extended position. That is, the described feature of the locking assembly is designed to move the catch mechanism to prevent it from interfering with retraction of the bolt from the second more extended position to the first extended position when the locking assembly is switched from the deadlock mode back to the pass-through mode or the latching mode.

According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a method of operating a locking assembly, the locking assembly comprising: a key cylinder configured to move a cam associated with the key cylinder in response to rotation of a key in the key cylinder; a bolt operatively associated with the cam for movement between a retracted position, a first extended position and a second extended position in response to movement of the cam; and a movement transmission member for transmitting the movement of the cam to the bolt. The method comprises the following steps: engaging and retaining the motion transfer member via a capture mechanism to prevent further extension of the bolt when the bolt is in the first extended position; and releasing the catch mechanism to move the bolt to the second extended position by moving a cam in response to rotation of the key in the key cylinder.

In a preferred embodiment, the step of engaging and retaining the motion transfer member to prevent further extension of the bolt comprises: a portion of the motion transfer member is engaged and retained via the capture member.

In a preferred embodiment, the step of releasing the catch mechanism comprises: the follower surface of the catch mechanism is brought into contact or engagement with the cam to move the cam to release the catch mechanism from engagement with the motion transfer member to move the bolt to the second more extended position in response to turning the key.

In a preferred embodiment, the step of releasing the catch mechanism comprises: pivoting the capture member from an engaged position, in which the capture member engages and retains a motion transfer member, to a disengaged position, in which the capture member is released from the motion transfer member. The pivoting is preferably against a resilient bias, such as a spring bias.

In a preferred embodiment, the locking assembly comprises: a bolt driving member having a front end portion and a rear end portion, the bolt being disposed at or connected to the front end portion of the bolt driving member for movement with the front end portion of the bolt driving member between a retracted position, a first extended position and a second extended position in response to movement of the cam. The movement transmission member is provided at or connected to a rear end portion of the bolt driving member, and is configured to transmit the movement of the cam to the bolt driving member.

Drawings

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is made to the following detailed description, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail, and in which like reference numerals represent like parts, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a locking assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the locking assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the locking assembly of FIG. 1 shown in a latching mode or pass-through mode inside the locking body housing with the bolt in a first extended position;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the locking assembly of FIG. 1 shown in a latching mode or pass-through mode within the locking body housing with the bolt in a retracted position operated by the door handle;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the locking assembly of FIG. 1 shown in a latching mode or pass-through mode inside the locking body housing with the bolt in a retracted position operated by a key;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the locking assembly of FIG. 1 shown inside a locking body housing, with a bolt moved from a first extended position to a second more extended position into a deadlock mode under operation of a key; and

fig. 7 is a front view of the locking assembly of fig. 1 shown inside the locking body housing with the bolt in a second, more extended position in the deadlock mode.

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate specific embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. Other embodiments of the present invention and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description.

It is to be understood that common and/or well-understood elements that may be useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are not necessarily depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these embodiments. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale relative to each other. It will also be understood that certain actions and/or steps in embodiments of the methods may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required.

Detailed Description

Referring first to fig. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a preferred embodiment of a locking assembly 1 is shown. The locking assembly 1 includes a locking body 2, the locking body 2 having a housing 3, the housing 3 substantially enclosing various components of the locking mechanism and being configured to fit within a cavity formed in a door (not shown). The housing 3 comprises a two-part housing 4 and a sleeve or tube 5 extending from the housing 4 to an end plate 6, said end plate 6 being configured to be fastened with a trim 7 via screws 8 in a recess at the edge of the door. Although a door and corresponding door handle are not shown, it should be noted that the locking assembly 1 includes a drive shaft 9 via which drive shaft 9 torque from turning either door handle is transferred to the locking assembly 1 for operating the locking assembly 1 in a pass-through mode or a latch mode, which will be discussed in more detail later.

The locking assembly 1 comprises a key cylinder 10, the key cylinder 10 being operable from both sides of the door by a key K inserted into the key cylinder 10. In particular, by rotating the key K in the key cylinder 10, an actuator lug or cam 11 operatively associated with the key cylinder 10 and located within the lock body 2 rotates with the key. The locking assembly 1 further comprises a bolt 12 configured for latching and/or locking engagement in a complementary recess (not shown) provided in the door frame or jamb for alignment with the bolt when the door is closed. The bolt 12 is configured to move between a retracted position, a first extended position as shown in fig. 1 and a second more extended position in response to movement of the cam 11. In this way, the locking assembly 1 is designed to operate in at least two modes: namely a pass or latch mode and a deadlock mode. In either the pass-through mode or the latch mode, rotation of the key K or rotation of either the door handle operates to withdraw or retract the bolt 12 from a first extended position (fig. 1) for latching engagement in a recess (not shown) of the door frame to a retracted position such that the bolt 12 disengages the recess to enable the door to be opened. In the deadlock mode, the key K is used to move the bolt 12 from the first extended position to the second more extended position, so the bolt 12 protrudes into further engagement with the recess to securely lock the door, making forced entry more difficult.

Referring now also to fig. 3 to 5 of the drawings, the details of the described embodiment of the locking assembly 1 and its operation will become more apparent. Fig. 3 shows the locking assembly 1 in the pass-through mode or the latching mode, with the bolt 12 in the first extended (latched) position. As described above, in this particular mode of operation, the bolt 12 can be moved or withdrawn to the retracted position (i.e., as shown in fig. 4 and 5) by turning either of the door handles or turning the key K.

Moving the bolt 12 by operating either one of the door handles will be described first with reference to fig. 3 and 4. The locking assembly 1 comprises an elongate bolt driving member 13, which elongate bolt driving member 13 forms part of a bolt retractor mechanism for moving the bolt 12 from a first extended position (i.e. it is locked in a recess of a door frame) back to a retracted position towards the locking body 2 to disengage from the recess. The bolt 12 is received and received within the sleeve or tube 5 of the housing 3 for substantially linear movement in or along the axial direction of the sleeve or tube 5. The consistency and alignment of this linear movement of the bolt 12 within the sleeve or tube 5 is ensured not only by the geometry of the sleeve or tube itself, but also by a locating pin 14, said locating pin 14 being configured to be received in a complementary bore (not shown) of the bolt 12. The bolt 12 is pivotally connected to a front end portion of the bolt driving member 13 via a hook element 15, the hook element 15 engaging and retaining a pin 16 of the bolt 12. As described above, torque is transmitted from any one of the door handles (not shown) to the lock assembly 1 via the drive shaft 9. A retractor member 17 is integrally formed with the drive shaft 9 or rigidly connected to the drive shaft 9, said retractor member 17 rotating or pivoting with the drive shaft 9 as either door handle is turned. The retractor member 17 extends radially away from the axis of the drive shaft 9 and terminates in a curved nose 18, said curved nose 18 abutting and engaging an inclined surface 19 formed on the upper edge region of the bolt drive member 13. From the position shown in fig. 3, when one of the door handles is turned, the drive shaft 9 is also turned or rotated in a clockwise direction. This forces the curved nose 18 into and along the angled or inclined surface 19 on the upper edge region of the bolt driving member 13, which in turn drives the bolt driving member 13 towards the left in the figure and thus pulls the bolt 12 (connected to the front end portion of the bolt driving member 13 via the hook element 15) into the retracted position shown in fig. 4. Movement of the bolt 12 to the retracted position occurs against the resilient bias provided by the spring member 20 received on the locating pin 14. Thus, when the door handle is released, the bolt 12 is biased by the spring member 20 to return to the first extended position shown in fig. 3. This also assists the retractor member 17 and the drive shaft 9, and thus also the door handle, to turn or pivot back to their respective home positions.

Moving the bolt 12 by turning the key K will now be described with reference to fig. 3 and 5. As described above, by rotating the key K in the key cylinder 10, the cam 11 operatively associated with the key cylinder 10 and located within the lock body 2 rotates with the key K. The locking assembly 1 further comprises a movement transfer member 21, said movement transfer member 21 being constructed and arranged for transferring the movement of the cam 11 to the bolt 12. In this regard, the rear end portion of the bolt driving member 13 is formed with a hook element 22, which hook element 22 engages and holds a pin 23 extending between two arms 24 of the motion transmitting member 21. In this way, the bolt driving member 13 is pivotally coupled or connected at its rear end portion with the motion transmitting member 21. The motion transfer member 21 is configured to move along a curved path that is substantially centered on the axis of rotation of the key cylinder 10 and generally corresponds to the path through which the cam 11 passes. Thus, referring to fig. 3, when the key K is turned counterclockwise in the key cylinder 10 through an angle of about 130 °, the cam 11 rotates or turns from the vertical downward (6 o' clock) position about the key cylinder axis and rides against the end of one of the arms 24 of the motion transfer member 21 adjacent the pin 23. Further turning the key K in the counter-clockwise direction through a total angle of about 180 ° rotates or turns the cam 11 about the key cylinder axis towards a vertically upward (12 o' clock) position and drives or pushes the motion transfer member 21 along its curved path, thereby transferring movement from the cam 11 to the bolt drive member 13 (via its coupling with the pin 23 of the motion transfer member 21) and the bolt 12. In this manner, turning the key K in the key cylinder 10 may move or withdraw the bolt 12 to the retracted position, as shown in FIG. 5. Likewise, movement of the bolt 12 to the retracted position occurs against the bias of the spring member 20 retained on the locating pin 14. Thus, when the key K is released, the bolt 12 is biased by the spring member 20 to return to the first extended position shown in fig. 3. This also causes the key K to rotate or pivot back to its original position in the key cylinder 10.

Referring now also to fig. 6 and 7 of the drawings, further details of the described embodiment of the locking assembly 1 and its operation will become more apparent. Despite the resilient bias acting on the bolt 12 via the spring member 20, the bolt 12 is retained in the first extended position shown in figure 3 by the catch means 25. In particular, the catch mechanism 25 is configured to engage and retain the motion transfer member 21 to prevent further extension of the bolt 12 when the bolt is in the first extended position. Thus, to move or switch the locking assembly 1 into the deadlock mode, the cam 11 is configured to release the catch mechanism 25 to move the bolt 12 to the second more extended position in response to rotation of the key K in the key cylinder 10.

To this end, the catch means 25 of the locking assembly 1 comprises a catch member 26, said catch member 26 having a protruding element or lug 27, said protruding element or lug 27 being configured to engage and retain a complementary element or shoulder 28 of the motion transfer member 21 when the bolt 12 is in the first extended position. The catch member 26 further comprises a follower 29 rigidly connected thereto, said follower 29 being provided with a follower surface 30 designed for contact or engagement with the cam 11. The catch member 26 is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 31 within the housing 4 and is arranged to pivot between an engaged position (as shown in figure 3) in which the catch member 26 engages and retains the motion transfer member 21 via the projecting lugs 27 and complementary shoulders 28, and a disengaged position (as shown in figure 6) in which the catch member 26 is released from its engagement with the motion transfer member 21. In this regard, the spring member 32 resiliently biases the pivoting of the capture member 26 towards the cam 11 such that the cam 11 contacts or engages the follower surface 31 to move the follower 29 and release the capture member 26 against the spring bias.

Thus, referring to fig. 3, when the key K is turned clockwise in the key cylinder 10 through an angle of about 90 °, the cam 11 rotates or pivots about the key cylinder axis from a vertically downward (6 o' clock) position toward the end of the arm 24 of the motion transfer member 21 away from the pin 23. However, referring to fig. 6, prior to the cam 11 contacting the motion transfer member 21, the cam 11 is adapted or configured to contact or engage along the follower surface 30 to pivot the catch member 26 on the pin 31 away from the motion transfer member 21 to release the engagement of the projecting lug 27 of the catch member 26 with the complementary shoulder 28 on the motion transfer member. In this way, further turning of the key K in the clockwise direction through a total angle of about 180 ° rotates or turns the cam 11 about the cylinder axis towards a vertically upward (12 o' clock) position so that it drives or pushes the motion transfer member 21 along its curved path, thereby transferring the motion of the cam 11 to the bolt driving member 13 (via its coupling with the pin 23 of the motion transfer member 21) and the bolt 12. Thus, turning the key K in the key cylinder 10 in this manner moves the bolt 12 to a second more extended position, as shown in fig. 7, for a deadlock mode of the locking assembly 1. Movement of the bolt 12 to the second more extended (deadlocked) position after release of the catch mechanism 25 is also assisted by the bias acting on the bolt 12 via the spring member 20.

When it is desired to return the locking bolt 12 from the second more extended position of the deadlock mode shown in figure 7 to the first extended position of the pass through or latching mode shown in figure 3, the key K again needs to be employed. In particular, the key K is rotated counterclockwise in the key cylinder 10 through an angle of about 70 ° such that the cam 11 rotates about the key cylinder axis from a vertically downward (6 o' clock) position and rests against the end of the arm 24 of the motion transfer member 21 proximate the pin 23. Further turning the key K in the counterclockwise direction through a total angle of about 140 ° rotates or turns the cam 11 about the key cylinder axis toward a vertically upward (12 o' clock) position and urges the motion transfer member 21 along its curved path to move the bolt 12 back to the first extended position. To prevent the catch mechanism 25 from interfering with the retraction of the bolt 12 from the second more extended position to the first extended position when the locking assembly 1 is switched from the deadlock mode back to the pass-through mode or latching mode, the catch member 26 (and in particular the projecting element or lug 27) comprises an angled or inclined surface 33, the angled or inclined surface 33 being configured to contact or engage with a corresponding part of the motion transfer member 21 (e.g. the complementary shoulder 28) when the bolt 12 is moved from the second more extended position back to the first extended position by the cam 11. In this manner, the motion transfer member 21 contacts or engages the angled or inclined surface 33 to pivot or displace the catch member 26 aside as the bolt 12 is retracted from the second more extended position to the first extended position.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations exist. It should be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration in any way. Rather, the foregoing summary and detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing at least one exemplary embodiment, it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and their legal equivalents. In general, this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein.

It will be further understood that, in this document, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including," "containing," "contains," "containing," "has," "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to be interpreted in an inclusive (i.e., non-exclusive) sense such that the processes, methods, apparatus, devices, or systems described herein are not limited to the features or components or steps recited, but may include other elements, features, components, or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, articles, or devices. Furthermore, the terms "a" and "an," as used herein, are intended to be construed to mean "one or more," unless expressly specified otherwise. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," and the like are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on or establish a particular ordering of the importance of their objects.

List of reference numerals

1 locking assembly 18 nose

2 inclined surface of locking body 19

3 case 20 spring

4 two-part housing 21 motion transfer member

5 sleeve or tube 22 hook element

6 end plate 23 pin

7 guard board 24 arm

8 screw 25 Capture mechanism

9 drive shaft 26 Capture Member

10 key cylinder 27 projecting element or lug

11 cam 28 complementary element or shoulder

12 bolt 29 follower

13 bolt drive member 30 follower surface

14 positioning pin 31 pin

15 hook element 32 spring

16 pin 33 angled or inclined surface

17 retractor member K key.

Claims

1. A locking assembly, comprising:

a key cylinder configured to move a cam associated with the key cylinder in response to rotation of a key in the key cylinder;

a bolt operatively associated with the cam and configured to move between a retracted position, a first extended position, and a second more extended position in response to movement of the cam;

a movement transmission member for transmitting a movement of the cam to the bolt; and

a capture mechanism for engaging and retaining the motion transfer member to prevent further extension of the bolt when the bolt is in the first extended position,

wherein the cam is configured to release the capture mechanism to move the bolt to the second more extended position in response to rotation of the key in the key cylinder.

2. The locking assembly of claim 1 further comprising a bolt driving member having a front end portion and a rear end portion, wherein the bolt is disposed at or connected to the front end portion of the bolt driving member to move with the front end portion of the bolt driving member between the retracted position, the first extended position and the second more extended position in response to movement of the cam.

3. The locking assembly of claim 2, wherein the bolt is configured for substantially linear movement between the retracted position, the first extended position and the second more extended position, and wherein the motion transfer member is disposed at or connected to the rear end portion of the bolt drive member and is configured to move in a substantially arcuate or curved path for transferring the motion of the cam to the bolt drive member.

4. A lock assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cam is configured to rotate or turn about an axis of the key cylinder in response to turning of the key in the key cylinder, and wherein the cam is arranged to bear against a portion of the motion transfer member to move the motion transfer member along its substantially arcuate or curved path to transfer movement from the cam to the bolt or the bolt driving member.

5. The locking assembly of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the bolt drive member forms an intermediate link between the motion transfer member and the bolt.

6. The locking assembly of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the capture mechanism comprises:

a capture member configured to engage and retain a portion of the motion transfer member when the bolt is in the first extended position; and

a follower connected to or associated with the capture member and having a follower surface configured for contact or engagement with the cam;

wherein in response to movement of the cam by the key, the cam is configured to contact or engage the follower surface to move the follower to release the capture member from its engagement with the motion transfer member for moving the bolt to the second more extended position.

7. The locking assembly of claim 6, wherein the follower is resiliently biased toward the cam such that the cam contacts or engages the follower surface to move the follower and release the catch member against the resilient bias.

8. A locking assembly according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the catch member and the follower are substantially rigidly connected and arranged to pivot between an engaged position in which the catch member engages and retains the motion transfer member and a disengaged position in which the catch member is released from its engagement with the motion transfer member.

9. The locking assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the catch mechanism, in particular the catch member, comprises an angled or inclined surface configured to contact or engage with a respective part of the motion transfer member when the bolt is moved back from the second extended position to the first extended position by the cam in response to rotation of the key in the key cylinder.

10. A method of operating a locking assembly, the locking assembly comprising: a key cylinder configured to move a cam associated with the key cylinder in response to rotation of a key in the key cylinder; a bolt operatively associated with the cam for movement between a retracted position, a first extended position and a second extended position in response to movement of the cam; and a movement transmission member for transmitting a movement of the cam to the bolt,

the method comprises the following steps:

engaging and retaining the motion transfer member via a capture mechanism when the bolt is in the first extended position to prevent further extension of the bolt; and

releasing the catch mechanism to move the bolt to the second extended position by moving the cam in response to rotation of the key in the key cylinder.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of engaging and retaining the motion transfer member to prevent further extension of the bolt comprises:

engaging and retaining a portion of the motion transfer member via a capture component.

12. The method of claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the step of releasing the capture mechanism comprises:

contacting or engaging a follower surface of the capture mechanism with the cam to move the capture mechanism to release the capture mechanism from engagement with the motion transfer member to move the bolt to the second more extended position in response to turning the key.

13. The method of any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the step of releasing the capture mechanism comprises:

preferably the catch member is pivoted against a resilient bias from an engaged position in which it engages and retains the motion transfer member to a disengaged position in which it is released from the motion transfer member.

14. A locking assembly, comprising:

a key cylinder having an actuator associated therewith, the actuator configured to turn or rotate in response to turning of a key in the key cylinder;

a bolt operably associated with the actuator and configured to move between a retracted position, a first extended position, and a second more extended position in response to movement of the actuator;

a movement transmission member for transmitting a movement of the actuator to the bolt; and

a catch mechanism for engaging and retaining the motion transfer member to prevent the bolt from moving to the second more extended position when the bolt is in the first extended position, wherein the actuator is configured to release the catch mechanism in response to rotation of the key in the key cylinder for moving the bolt to the second more extended position.