DK3008263T3 - DEVICE FOR CONNECTING TWO HALF CYLINDER - Google Patents

Description

This invention concerns the field of the locksmith industry and more precisely locks comprising European profile cylinders.

In locksmithing, the usual practice is to use cylinders housed in a lock which are opened or closed using an appropriate key. These cylinders have a stator inside which is designed to turn a rotor when a key of suitable shape and dimension is inserted. The end of the rotor which faces the outside of the lock has a slot to insert the key while the opposite end of the rotor, which faces the inside of the lock, is extended axially outside the stator by a mechanism designed to engage a rotating element which then operates the lock bolt.

So-called European profile cylinders are those in which the body of the cylinder has a lateral extension of substantially oblong shape. When this type of cylinder is fixed in the volume of the lock, the lateral extension is placed vertically under the body of the cylinder.

Double-sided European profile cylinders are known which consist of a one-piece cylinder with a key slot at each axial end such that a single cylinder the length of which is substantially equal to the thickness of the door, can have a slot on both sides of the door. A central rotating element is designed to be housed in the center of the one-piece cylinder so that it can engage with each of the two rotors. These cylinders are of standard size and industrial manufacture which means it is not possible to adjust them to the thickness of a door that is slightly different from a standard door without the end of the rotor forming the key slot face protruding slightly from the door.

However, the fact that the rotor protrudes slightly from the door poses a security problem. In the field of locksmithing, attempted breaking and entering must be prevented. A usual attempted breaking and entering process consists in destroying the European profile cylinder and it is easy, when it protrudes from the door, to use a pair of pliers to turn the protruding part of the rotor and break the central part of the cylinder at the rotating element. The cylinder usually breaks in half easily and when the broken part is removed, the bolt can be freely accessed.

To solve the problem of adjusting the size of the cylinder to the thickness of the door, the possibility was envisaged of placing in the lock two half-cylinders of the European profile type, which are shorter than the one-piece cylinders described above, one on the outside and one on the inside of the door, and connecting the two half-cylinders with a connecting bar the axial ends of which are slotted into a hole bored in the lateral extension of each of the half-cylinders. The rotating element engages with the rotor of the interior half-cylinder on the one hand and with the rotor of the exterior half-cylinder on the other hand. The connecting bar extends parallel to the axis of the half-cylinders, away from the rotating element so that said rotating element is not prevented from rotating. One-piece connecting bars of different sizes can thus be used. The size of the one-piece connecting bar is chosen to correspond to the thickness of the door so that it extends from one of the European profile half-cylinders to the other. Patent document EP0670401 discloses such a device which, however, has the drawback of being part of an assembly in which it is not possible to exactly adjust the length of the connecting bar to the required dimension and which thus carries the risk that the exterior cylinder may protrude beyond the door, even if it is only slightly.

According to the invention, the aim is to produce a lock that makes it possible to adjust the cylinder to the thickness of the door so that it will not protrude and thus eliminate all possibility of using pliers to grip the cylinder from the outside and break it.

As an alternative to the device described in prior art document EP 2 090 725, the invention thus proposes a coupling device for two European profile half-cylinders consisting of a connecting bar system in which said system comprises two connecting bars, each of which has one end designed to be fixed to one of the half-cylinders and a second end hooked to an intermediate connecting piece which extends longitudinally between the half-cylinders by means of hooking elements supported respectively by said connecting piece and said second end of the connecting bar. The device is adjustable in that it allows multiple positions of cooperation, with a connecting bar and/or the connecting piece presenting longitudinally a series of said hooking elements in order to allow longitudinal adjustment of the coupling between said connecting bar and said connecting piece. The hooking elements advantageously take the form of notched means placed in longitudinal series and presenting a longitudinal sequence of notches and ribs.

The hooking distance between a connecting bar and the connecting piece can thus be adjusted. It can thus be understood that, by proposing a certain distance between the series-mounted means designed to hook up the different parts to be coupled together, the overall adjustment of the assembly can be fine-tuned and easily adapted to suit doors of any thickness. Depending on whether a longitudinal series of hooking elements is proposed on the connecting piece or the connecting bar or both, a device is proposed which enables an adjustment to be made which is determined by the spacing between the hooking elements and offers an even wider area of adjustment if both pieces comprise a series of hooking elements.

The intermediate piece has a central base and lateral parts for connection to the connecting bars arranged longitudinally on either side of the base. It is said lateral parts that support a longitudinal series of hooking elements, designed to cooperate with the corresponding hooking elements on a connecting tab which extends one of the ends of the connecting bar.

Advantageously, the connecting tab on a connecting bar and the lateral part of the connecting piece have portions with matching sections when they are coupled together to cover an equivalent section to that of the connecting bar. They thus ensure a continuous shape in the axial extension of the connecting bar when they are coupled together and the stiffness of the assembly is thus improved by the continuity of the section.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the intermediate piece is made of a stronger material than that of the connecting bars. This has the advantage of strengthening said assembly area with respect to a one-piece connecting bar since it is this area which is most likely to break during an attempted break-in.

An advantageous development concerns a lock assembly in which two half-cylinders of the European profile type, each comprising a lateral extension of a body in which the stator houses a rotor that drives a rotating element that operates the lock, are connected by an adjustable device according to the invention. As described previously, the device is adjustable in that it comprises two connecting bars each designed to be housed in a recess formed in each of the lateral extensions and to protrude beyond the corresponding half-cylinder to cooperate with the intermediate connecting piece.

According to different features of the lock assembly : - The connecting bars extend under the axis which is common to the rotors and the rotating element that operates the lock. The connecting piece is arranged longitudinally at the rotating element and has a flat bar on its upper face designed to let the rotating element pass through ; - Means are provided to fix the connecting bar to the lateral extension and the walls delimiting the recess in the lateral extension prevent the connecting bar and the part of the connecting piece housed within from moving transversely ; - The rotors are designed to drive a rotating element by means of an engagement mechanism which has a longitudinal dimension equivalent to that of the connecting bars and spacers forming lengthening bars are arranged at the exit of the half-cylinder rotors such that they extend the engagement mechanisms so that they can transfer the rotational force from the rotors to the rotating element.

The invention will now be more fully described below, in reference to the drawings in which : - figure 1 is a perspective view of the device for coupling two half-cylinders according to the invention ; - figure 2 is a perspective view similar to the view in figure 1, in which the elements of the coupling device are depicted in an exploded view ; - figure 3 is a perspective view seen from the other side of the axis of the device with respect to figures 1 and 2, of a lock assembly comprising the coupling device in figure 1, which, in order to facilitate comprehension, shows an assembled halfcylinder and an exploded view of a half-cylinder ; and - figure 4 is a bird’s eye view of the coupling device in figure 1.

As illustrated in the figures, the coupling device 2 according to the invention couples together two European profile half-cylinders 4, and said device mainly comprises two connecting bars 6 each of which are designed to be fixed to one of the half-cylinders, and an intermediate connecting piece 8 which extends longitudinally between the two connecting bars and to which the free end of the bars is attached.

The coupling device is inserted into a lock assembly as illustrated by way of example in figure 3, which comprises two European profile half-cylinders designed to be placed opposite each other in the thickness of the door, one facing inwards and the other facing outwards. The device is particularly interesting because it is adjustable such that it can vary the center-to-center distance between the two halfcylinders, as described below.

Each European profile half-cylinder comprises a first part forming a cage 10 of circular section and a second part forming a lateral extension 12 of said cage. A longitudinal hole 14 is bored through the cage to receive an assembly consisting of a rotor 16 and a stator 18, each of which are bored with radial holes 20 to house an undepicted set of pins and counter-pins respectively. A hold-down screw not shown in the figures, passes through the lateral extension and comes out in the hole bored through the cage so as to hold the stator in place, with only the rotor being designed to turn inside the stator when an appropriate key is turned in the lock. In a known manner, the insertion of a key of appropriate size and shape in the rotor causes the set of pins to be positioned such that the rotor is no longer prevented from rotating.

Each of the half-cylinders is positioned in the door such that the key slot 22 is accessible from the outside of the door. In this position, the inner face of the cylinder 24 is the face inside the thickness of the door and the outer face of the cylinder 26 is the face which is accessible to the user for inserting the key, regardless of which side of the door is concerned. As illustrated in figure 3, a reinforcement piece 28, in which a cut-out is made to correspond to the key slot, is placed contiguous to the face of the rotor facing outwards.

The rotation of one of the rotors by turning the key leads to the rotation of a rotating element 30, with bits or teeth, placed between the rotors 16 as illustrated in figure 3. The rotating element 30 is designed to operate the lock bolt. For this purpose, the end of the rotor facing the inside of the door is extended longitudinally outside the stator by means designed to engage the rotating element 32. The center of the rotating element is hollow to take a spindle 33 designed to cooperate with either the engagement means specific to the rotor of one of the half-cylinders, or the engagement means specific to the rotor of the other half-cylinder, depending on the half-cylinder in which the key is inserted.

As described above, each of the half-cylinders of the lock assembly is a European profile half-cylinder, that is, it has a lateral extension of the cage housing the stator and rotor. When this type of cylinder is typically placed in the lock, the lateral extension 12 extends vertically under cage 10 housing the stator and the rotor. The lateral extension extends longitudinally over the entire length of the half-cylinder. A recess 34, of oblong section in the vertical and transverse plan, extends longitudinally inside the lateral extension, from the inner face of the cylinder to a bottom wall which extends vertically away from the outer face of the cylinder. A reinforcement piece is placed inside the lateral extension between the outer face and the recess.

The two half-cylinders are coupled together longitudinally by a coupling device at the lateral extensions, such that the coupling device extends under the axis of the rotors and under the rotating element. Each of the connecting bars is fixed to the recess in the lateral extension by a fastener designed to be housed in a hole at right angles to cylinder 36 and in a corresponding hole 38, of substantially the same diameter, at right angles to the connecting bar.

The intermediate connecting piece 8 should be placed under the rotating element. It is this intermediate piece as described below which is shaped such that the rotating element that operates the lock can pass through and rotate correctly. It can then be understood that the longitudinal position of the intermediate connecting piece is determined by the design of the lock and the position of the bolt, and that the adjustment coupling device according to the invention enables connecting bars of various sizes to be proposed according to the position of the intermediate piece and the distance between it and the half-cylinders to be coupled together. As illustrated in the figures, connecting bars of different lengths can be used in the device according to the invention.

Correspondingly, the engagement means extending the rotor in the direction of the rotating element operating the lock can be of various sizes. As can be seen in figure 3, lengthening strips 39 of equivalent section to that of the European cylinder are provided which form a spacer between the inner face of the cylinder and the rotating element. Said lengthening strips are designed to stiffen the assembly and provide longitudinal guidance for the connecting bar and engagement means.

Below is a detailed description of the coupling device according to the invention, adjustable in that it allows multiple positions of cooperation for each of the connecting bars with respect to the intermediate connecting piece.

Each of the connecting bars has the general shape of a longitudinal bar of oblong section, whose dimension is slightly less than the recess of oblong section in the lateral extension of the cylinder. A first end 40 has a straight face perpendicular to the axis of the connecting bar. Said first end is designed to be inserted into the half-cylinder, and the correct positioning of the connecting bar is determined when the straight face of the end of the connecting bar is up against the bottom wall of the recess. In this position, the connecting bar is fixed inside the cylinder by through fixation means 36 and 38.

Opposite this first end, the connecting bar has a connection tab 42 over a certain length presenting, with respect to the connecting bar, an area whose section is reduced by a flat bar which is longitudinally parallel to the larger side of the oblong shape. Here, the flat bar is offset transversely with respect to the median plane of the connecting bar parallel to the larger side of the bar. In this way, the connection tab has a portion of oblong section, of varying thickness depending on the transverse offset of the flat bar, with an assembly face 44 formed by the flat bar which extends between a shoulder 46 formed by the complete section of the connecting bar and a turned-down edge 48 which corresponds to the end of the connecting bar facing the intermediate connecting piece.

The assembly face 44 of the connection tab has hooking elements 50, such that each of the connecting bars can be coupled to the intermediate piece by cooperation of said hooking elements and the complementary hooking elements 52 on the intermediate connecting piece. The hooking elements are arranged respectively on the assembly faces of the connection tabs and on the connecting piece mounted in series longitudinally and each of the elements in the series is made to correspond with one or the other of the series of complementary elements. This enables the hooking distance between a connecting strip and the connecting piece to be adjusted.

The intermediate connecting piece 8 has a central base and lateral parts 56 arranged longitudinally on either side of the base. In a similar manner to what has just been described for the connection tab of the connecting bar, the lateral parts have a section which is reduced by a flat bar placed longitudinally and parallel to the larger side of the oblong shape. The flat bar is also offset transversely with respect to the median plane of the connecting bar parallel to the larger side of the bar. In this way, each of the lateral parts has a portion of oblong section, of varying thickness depending on the transverse offset of the flat bar, with an assembly face 58 formed by the flat bar which extends between a shoulder formed by the central base and a turned-down edge 60 which corresponds to the lateral end of the intermediate connecting piece.

It is these assembly faces supported by the intermediate connecting piece which provide the hooking elements that are complementary to those supported by the connecting bars. To achieve such complementary elements, male and female hooking elements respectively can be placed on the connecting bars and female and male hooking elements respectively on the lateral parts of the connecting piece. As can be seen in figure 3 in particular, the assembly faces of the lateral parts are oriented transversely in the same direction. Having both lateral parts face in the same direction makes it easier to machine the connecting piece. However, it will be understood that the assembly faces could face in opposite directions, without interfering with the interchangeability of the connecting bars.

The hooking elements on the device according to the invention are arranged in series longitudinally. The series consists of distal hooking elements, which are hooking elements arranged at the free end of the connecting tab or the corresponding lateral part, and proximal hooking elements.

According to the invention, as illustrated in the figures, the hooking elements are in the form of notches means. The female hooking means and the different successive notches, that is, the notches 62 in the assembly face, are thus one and the same, and the male hooking means and the ribs 64 placed between each notch, are also one and the same. It will be understood however, that the shape of the hooking elements can vary, without going outside the scope of the invention, provided cooperation of the complementary hooking elements prevents the connecting bar concerned from moving longitudinally with respect to the intermediate connecting piece and the relative displacement of the two pieces at right angles to the assembly faces 35, before said relative displacement, is prevented by the insertion of the assembly in the recess in the lateral extension, as described below.

Each set of longitudinal notches forms a series of notches and ribs which extend over the assembly face perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the connecting bar or the intermediate connecting piece. The notches extend over the entire height of the assembly face, where the height is the dimension of the largest side of the oblong section of the connecting bars and the connecting piece. Thus, the notches and ribs have dimensions designed to produce an effective coupling in which the connecting bars cannot move longitudinally with respect to the intermediate connecting piece. The distance between each notch in the series is advantageously 2.5 mm, which allows fine tuning of the lock assembly in which the device is incorporated according to the invention.

The base of the intermediate piece has an upper plane face 66, produced by a flat bar such that the height of the base is less than that of the lateral parts. The width of the base is at least equal to the width of the rotating element operating the lock, such that the clearance created by the flat bar forming the upper face of the base allows the rotating element to rotate when it is driven by one of the rotors. The base also comprises a transverse hole 68, designed to take a screw to fix the connecting piece in the thickness of the door.

It has been seen that the connecting tabs and the lateral parts of the connecting piece are oblong in shape. These portions have complementary dimensions such that when the connecting tabs and the lateral parts are coupled, the assembly covers a section equivalent to that of the connecting bars. Thus a continuous shape is ensured in the longitudinal extension of the connecting strip and the stiffness of the assembly is improved by the continuity of the section.

Moreover, this type of assembly can be housed in the recess in the lateral extension of the half-cylinder, and if necessary in the recess corresponding to the lateral extension of the lengthening strips placed opposite the half-cylinder, with the walls of the recesses in said extensions preventing the intermediate connecting piece from moving in relation to the connecting bar made integral with the cylinder by through fixation means. The position of the intermediate connecting piece is thus fixed with respect to the connecting bars without requiring any additional fixation means.

The description above clearly explains how the invention is able to achieve its objectives. In particular, such as it has just been described, the fact of having a half-cylinder coupling device comprising several parts, with an intermediate connecting piece, presents the advantage of making it easier to adjust the center-to-center distance between the two halfcylinders. Said device means that an adjustment can be made between two maximum positions sufficiently distant from each other, due to the addition of said hooking areas. A first maximum adjustment position, corresponding to the minimum distance between the two half-cylinders, is defined when the shoulder of each of the connecting bars is up against the lateral end corresponding to the connecting piece, while the opposite maximum position, corresponding to the maximum distance between two half-cylinders, is obtained when, for each connecting bar, the distal hooking elements of the connecting bars are made to cooperate with the corresponding distal hooking elements on the lateral parts of the intermediate connecting piece. Between these two extreme positions, the center-to-center distance between the cylinders is adjusted by choosing which hooking elements in the different longitudinal sets present on the connecting bars and connecting piece are to cooperate with each other. Furthermore, said center-to-center distance can be finely adjusted because the presence of four sets of hooking elements, that is, two supported by the connecting piece and one supported by each of the two connecting bars, increases the possibility of adjustment twofold. This means that hooking elements can be proposed which are placed longitudinally at a very small distance apart, for a finer longitudinal adjustment, as a result of which neither of the two half-cylinders will protrude beyond the thickness of the door. The longitudinal portion on which the hooking elements are present can thus be limited to avoid weakening the structure of the pieces by reducing their section. This arrangement also enables the connecting bars to be placed asymmetrically. Such as illustrated by way of example, the connecting bars can be of different lengths, and the asymmetry of the assembly can be used to place each of the connecting bars at a different distance from the connecting piece.

It is understood that the relative position to be given to the connecting bars with respect to the intermediate connecting piece is determined before they are locked in that position. A connecting bar is pressed up against one of the lateral parts then the assembly is inserted into the recess in the lateral extension of one of the half-cylinders until it is against the bottom wall of the recess, and the connecting bar is fixed to the half-cylinder with a pin. This direct fixation of the connecting bar indirectly prevents the intermediate connecting piece from moving both by cooperation of the hooking elements which prevent the intermediate connecting piece from being displaced in the plane of the contact face and by the presence of the walls of the recess which prevent the perpendicular displacement of the intermediate connecting piece. The same operations are then carried out for the other connecting bar, it being understood that if the longitudinal dimension of one of the connecting bars is greater than the longitudinal dimension of the half-cylinder, lengthening strips forming spacers as described above must be added, and it is said lengthening strips which prevent the displacement of the connecting piece perpendicular to the connecting bar which is fixed by a pin to the half-cylinder.

This type of embodiment is particularly advantageous in that it enables the connecting bar and intermediate connecting piece to be made of two different materials. The intermediate connecting piece could be made of a stronger material, such as stainless steel, than that used to make the connecting bars. This has the advantage of strengthening the central assembly area, with respect to an embodiment with a one-piece connecting strip, particularly since it is precisely this area which is most likely to break during an attempted break-in.

Of course, various modifications can be made by the person skilled in the art to the structure of the coupling device and the associated lock assembly which have just been described by way of non-exhaustive examples. For example, the shape of the notched hooking elements could be modified without going outside the scope of the invention, provided their arrangement on the connecting bars and the intermediate connecting piece allow longitudinal adjustment of the center-to-center distance between the half-cylinders which the device according to the invention is designed to couple.

Claims (9)

Device for coupling two half-cylinders (4) of the European profile type by means of a connecting rod system, the system comprising two connecting rods (6), each having a first end (40) designed to be attached to one of the half-cylinders (4) ) and a second end connected to an intermediate connecting part (8) extending longitudinally between the cylinders (4), through hook members (50, 52) supported respectively by the connecting part and the other end of the connecting rod (6), respectively. the device being adjustable in that it enables numerous cooperative positions where a connecting rod (6) and / or connecting member has a plurality of the hook elements (50, 52) arranged longitudinally so that the longitudinal adjustment of the coupling between the connecting rod (6) ) and the connecting part (8) can be adjusted where the hook elements (50, 52) take the form of chipped means with a series of longitudinal cuts (62) and ribs (64). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that each connecting rod (6) has an extension pin (42) at the other end which extends longitudinally the connecting rod (6) to hook it with the intermediate connecting part (8), whereby the pin (42) supports part of the hook elements (50). Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the intermediate connecting part (8) comprises a central base (54) and two side parts (56) which partially support hook elements (52) complementary to those supported by the connecting pin. on the connecting rods (6) so as to cooperate with the latter to produce an adjustable coupling. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the connecting pin on a connecting rod (42) and the side part of the corresponding connecting part (56) have cross-sectional parts defined by a flat mounting surface (44, 58) supporting the hook elements (50, 52), the cross-sectional parts are mutually complementary, so that when the connecting rod (6) and the connecting part (8) are interconnected by joining the mounting faces to each other, the unit has a cross-section corresponding to the connecting rod (6). Device according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the central base (54) of the connecting part (8) has a flat rod forming an upper planar surface (66) such that a transverse passage is provided through the center of the connector (8). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting part (8) and the connecting rods (6) are made of different materials, in particular in that the connecting part (8) is made of a harder material than that used for producing the connecting rods (6). A locking unit, wherein two European profile half cylinders (4) each include a side extension (12) of a cage (10) containing a stator (18) for receiving a rotor (16) driving a rotating element which the locking member (30) is coupled to an adjustable coupling device (2) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the two connecting rods (6) are each designed to be contained in a notch (35) formed in each of the the side extensions, and to project from the corresponding half-cylinder to cooperate with the intermediate connecting member (8). Locking unit according to claim 7, characterized in that it comprises connecting rod (6) fasteners in the side extension (12) of the cylinder and in that the walls of the cut (34) in the side extension prevent the connecting rods (6) and the part of the connecting part (8), which is contained in the notch, of being displaced. Locking unit according to one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the rotors (16) are designed to drive the rotating element (30) by means of a carrier (33) and engaging means (32) having a longitudinal dimension corresponding to to that of the connecting rods (6), and that spacers forming elongation bands (39) are positioned at the end of the half cylinders so that engaging means (32) pass therethrough, thereby transferring the rotational force from the rotors (16) to the rotating element (30) .