EP0539300A1 - Door closure device for insulated containers - Google Patents

Abstract

Door-closing device intended especially for refrigerating chambers, comprising a housing within which a handle is accommodated in the closed position. According to the invention, it comprises: - means for closing the handle inside the housing, - means (141, 142) for locking the door, which are separate from the means for closing the handle, - means (156) for unlocking the door, which are associated by means of a connecting member with control means (164) actuable from inside the chamber. <IMAGE>

Description

The subject of the present invention is a device for closing the doors of isolated enclosures, in particular phonetically and / or thermally, for example of land, rail, sea or air transport vehicles, comprising a volume accessible to a person, lockable from the outside.

It will find its application in all industrial sectors where one must have recourse to insulated enclosures comprising a volume accessible to a person, inside of which reigns notably a temperature appreciably different from the temperature of the external atmosphere.

For example, to distribute perishable products such as in particular food products from their place of production to their place of distribution or directly to consumers, refrigeration chambers are used inside which the products are transported.

The interior of these enclosures is maintained at a temperature compatible with the preservation of these products.

Generally, depending on the nature of these products, the ambient temperature prevailing inside these enclosures is between + 10 ° and -20 ° C.

To maintain this temperature, the enclosure must be perfectly sealed and thermally insulated. This is the reason why they are generally made of thermally insulating materials inside which a heat transfer fluid circulates.

Access to the interior of these enclosures for loading and unloading of products is carried out by means of doors, the closing of which must be perfect to avoid any heat loss liable to reduce the efficiency of the insulation.

To do this, various closing and locking devices are known, of a more or less complex design and of a more or less easy implementation.

This is how a manual locking device for a closure is currently known, which comprises a handle articulated on a support and biased by a spring in the direction of opening. This spring drives a latch which enters a keeper when the handle is in the closed position.

A pawl hinged to the handle around an axis is biased by a spring, towards a so-called hooking position in which the spout of the pawl is engaged with a lug secured to the frame to lock the handle and the latch in a closed position .

The tenon has a flat directed towards the bottom of the notch of the pawl while moving obliquely away from the axis of rotation of said pawl.

In such a device, either the spout is fully engaged in the tenon or it slides on the flat and lets the handle reopen. As a result, the handle can never be in a badly closed or badly locked position so that the door is always properly closed.

A device is also known which comprises a handle fixed to the actuating member of the lock which is pivoted on a fixed support. This fixed support is removably fixed in a housing by acting only from the outside by means of a screw engaged in a corresponding hole in the retaining plate.

The actuating member is also enclosed from the outside in a housing by an opening and it cooperates with an element of the support to arrange it in an angular position such that it remains engaged inside said housing.

Such devices, although allowing satisfactory closing of the enclosure doors have the drawback of being only actuable from outside the enclosure.

It follows that if, for an unwanted reason, the enclosure door closes, when the person is inside the enclosure, he is locked up and imprisoned.

It is understandable that due in particular to the soundproofing of the enclosure, this person cannot prevent or call another person to help him to open the door. As a result, she risks serious problems. These disorders are all the more serious as the residence time spent inside the refrigerated enclosure by the person is long and the ambient temperature is low.

To remedy this problem, it has been thought to produce door closing devices which can be opened from inside the enclosure. However, such devices are generally of complex design and expensive. One of the solutions used consists in dissociating the various locking members of the device by multiplying the axes and the movement members of the locking pieces. This multiplication of mechanical organs makes the opening from the interior of the enclosure more or less reliable depending on the regular and efficient operation of these different organs.

The object of the present invention is to remedy the drawbacks of the devices currently known by providing a door closing device which can be easily unlocked from inside the enclosure.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple device, easy to implement and of low cost.

• des moyens pour loger la poignée à l'intérieur du boîtier;
• des moyens pour verrouiller la porte dissociés des moyens pour loger la poignée ;
• des moyens pour déverrouiller la porte associés par un organe de liaison à des moyens de commande actionnables par la personne depuis l'intérieur de l'enceinte.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a door closing device, intended in particular for enclosures phonetically and thermally insulated, comprising an interior volume accessible to a person and lockable from the outside, such as for example a refrigerating enclosure, comprising a housing inside which is housed, in the closed position, a handle accessible only from the outside, which is characterized by the fact that it comprises:

• means for housing the handle inside the housing;
• means for locking the door separate from the means for housing the handle;
• means for unlocking the door associated by a connecting member with control means operable by the person from inside the enclosure.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the description which follows, which is however only given for information and which is not intended to limit it.

• la figure 1 est une vue de dessus qui illustre l'ensemble du dispositif selon un premier mode de réalisation de l'invention;
• la figure 2 est une vue qui illustre le fond du boîtier du dispositif de la figure 1;
• la figure 3 est une vue en coupe selon la ligne III-III de la figure 1;
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe qui illustre les moyens de déverrouillage du dispositif de la figure 1;
• la figure 5 est une vue de dessus qui illustre l'ensemble du dispositif selon un deuxième mode de réalisation de l'invention;
• la figure 6 est une vue qui illustre le fond du boîtier du dispositif de la figure 5 selon l'axe VI-VI de la figure 7;
• la figure 7 est une vue en coupe selon la ligne VII-VII de la figure 5;
• la figure 8 montre un détail de la figure 7 illustrant le levier de verrouillage de la poignée en position fermée, en traits pleins, et en position ouverte, en traits mixtes.

The invention will be better understood from the description which follows, accompanied by the attached drawings, among which:

• Figure 1 is a top view which illustrates the entire device according to a first embodiment of the invention;
• Figure 2 is a view illustrating the bottom of the housing of the device of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a sectional view along line III-III of Figure 1;
• Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating the unlocking means of the device of Figure 1;
• Figure 5 is a top view which illustrates the entire device according to a second embodiment of the invention;
• Figure 6 is a view illustrating the bottom of the housing of the device of Figure 5 along the axis VI-VI of Figure 7;
• Figure 7 is a sectional view along the line VII-VII of Figure 5;
• Figure 8 shows a detail of Figure 7 illustrating the handle locking lever in the closed position, in solid lines, and in the open position, in phantom.

The present invention relates to a door closing device, intended in particular for refrigerated enclosures.

It will find its application in all the industrial sectors in which it is necessary to use insulated enclosures, in particular phonetically and / or thermally, comprising a volume accessible to a person inside which prevails in particular a temperature substantially different from that of the ambient atmosphere.

The device is in particular suitable for closing doors of refrigeration chambers, such as chambers associated with refrigeration trucks intended for the transport of food or perishable products.

Of course, this application is in no way limiting and the device can be used to close doors of other types of enclosures or even doors for access to rooms or rooms.

Referring to Figure 1, which illustrates a first embodiment, we see a housing 1 of parallelepiped shape. This box is here made of stainless steel but it could be, depending on requirements, made of any other type of suitable material such as aluminum or hard plastic.

It consists of a bottom 2 delimited by two side walls 3 and 4 and two transverse walls 5 and 6. The size and the shape of the housing are of course variable depending on the applications but it will always be sufficient to receive a handle 7 of maneuver which here is of substantially rectangular shape.

In this embodiment, the side walls 3 and 4 and the transverse walls 5 and 6 have a rim projecting perpendicularly intended to allow the establishment of the housing 1 in a corresponding housing of the enclosure door in association with the door operating parts. This installation can be carried out by any suitable technique such as by riveting, bolting, or any other equivalent means.

The operating handle 7 is here made of the same material as that of the housing 1. Of course, in other embodiments, it could be made of other types of material.

This operating handle 7 has at one of the ends 8 an opening 9 allowing the passage of a hand in order to allow its movement from an open position to a closed position as will be described later.

In its middle part 10, the handle 7 comprises a barrel 11 of a conventional type actuated by a key.

The end 12 of the handle 7 has a housing 13. Inside this housing 13, substantially in its middle part, an oblong slot is formed 14. A square-shaped part 15 is fixed by welding points at the base of the housing 13 and passes over part of its width the light 14.

The end 16 of the housing 13 has in the vicinity of its transverse edge 17 a hinge pin 18 which passes right through the said housing being subject to each of its ends 19, 20 inside an orifice 21 , 22 formed in the side walls 23, 24 of the housing 13.

On one of the ends 19 of the axis 18 is mounted an elastic member such as a spring 25.

The end 12 of the handle 7 comprises, near the wall 5 of the housing 1, a bearing 26 inside which are placed the means for housing the handle 7 inside the housing 1.

These means for accommodating the handle 7 are here constituted by a hinge pin 27 passing right through the handle 7 and the side walls 3 and 4 of the housing in order to come together with complementary elements for operating the door of the enclosure. .

A cover 28 is mounted articulated around the axis 18 and covers the housing 13 and the barrel 11 in the closed position in order to protect it.

Referring to FIG. 2, the bottom 2 of the housing 1 is seen more particularly. This bottom 2 comprises two lateral guide rails 30 and 31 intended to cooperate with the side walls 4 and 5 of the handle while serving as their housing when that -this is in position closed.

A square piece 32 is secured by welding points opposite the oblong slot 14 so as to come, when the handle is in the closed position, pass through said slot 14 and cooperate with the piece of complementary shape 15.

A stud 33 projecting perpendicularly from rubber material is arranged in the vicinity of the bracket 32 to cushion the handle 7 when it is closed and to come into contact with the housing 13 in the vicinity of the barrel 11 when said handle 7 is in the closed position.

The means for locking the door are constituted on the one hand by a guide rail piece 40 and by a cleat 41 associated with the barrel 11 mounted on the handle 7 and, on the other hand, by a lever 42 mounted pivoting about an axis 43 inside the housing 1.

The means for locking the door of the enclosure are dissociated from the means for closing the handle 7 so that it is possible to operate them independently of one another. It is thus possible to open the door from the inside while leaving the handle 7 in the closed position.

The lever 42 is constituted by a part which has a base 44 and a horizontal apex 45 secured to two symmetrical side walls 46, 47. The front face 48 of each side wall 46, 47 is inclined from top to bottom, constituting a guide ramp which opens into a notch 49 delimiting with the top 45 a housing 50 intended to receive a part of the operating handle 7 in position locked.

The axis 43 passes right through the lever 42 so that the latter is pivotally mounted around this axis 43. This axis 43 is fixed at each of its ends in an orifice 51, 52 formed in each wall 46- 47. Two springs 53, 54 which are placed on either side of a vertical median plane on the axis 43.

These springs 53, 54 are subject at one of their ends to the housing 1 and to the other of their ends at the top of the lever 42 so that they accompany the pendulum movement of the lever 42 by requesting an elastic force.

According to the invention, the means for unlocking the door of the enclosure consist of a housing 50 of the pivoting blocking part of the handle at the level of which the cleat 41 is placed while being held therein by retractable means 56 from the inside the enclosure.

These retractable means 56 consist of a spring 57, one of the ends 58 of which is secured to the base of the lever 42 on a stud 59 and the other end of which 60 must cooperate with a stop 61 while being integral with a member link 62 which opens into an orifice 63 formed in the bottom 2 of the housing 1 so as to be maneuverable by a control device 64 manual or not from inside the enclosure.

Thus, it will be possible, as will be described later, by virtue of the invention, to easily open the door of the enclosure from the inside thereof even when this door is closed from the outside.

These means 56 are retractable independently of the pendulum movement of the lever 42 allowing the release of the cleat 41. This independence and this dissociation of the movement of the retractable means 56 and of the pendulum movement of the lever 42 allows the door to be opened quickly and easily from the inside the enclosure.

Of course, other equivalent devices, making it possible, by a rotational movement, of translation by a combination of these different movements, to make retractable a member for holding and retaining the cleat 41 in the housing 50 can be used.

The device according to the invention operates in the following manner.

To close the enclosure door, you must first place the handle 7 in the housing 1. To do this, insert your hand inside the opening 9 and rotate the handle 7 around axis 27 from a open position in which it is arranged substantially perpendicular to the housing 1 to a position in which it is substantially inserted inside the bottom 2 of the housing 1.

In this position, the square part 32 enters the oblong opening 14 by coming to cooperate with the complementary part 15.

As soon as the handle 7 is in this position, the door is locked. This door locking operation is carried out in two stages.

First, sufficient pressure is exerted by hand on the handle 7 so that in contact with the guide ramp 40 on the inclined side walls 46, 47 and the lever 42, the springs 53, 54 are biased so that the lever 42 pivots about the axis 43 while rising up to a stop position.

In this position, under the action of the elastic return force of the springs 53, 54, the lever 42 folds down such that part of the opening 9 of the operating handle 7 is placed inside the housing 50.

Then, to completely lock the door, the key must be turned in the barrel 11 to rotate the cleat 41 so that it comes to be housed in the lever 42. In this position, the cleat 41 is placed in the housing 50 while being maintained. It then only remains to remove the key from the barrel and fold down the protective cover 28.

According to the invention, it is possible to easily and quickly open this door from inside the enclosure.

To do this, it suffices that the person exerts from inside the enclosure by means of the control member 64 such as a handle, a pulling force on the connecting member 62. The connecting member 62 transmits this force to the spring 57 which, by this action, generates a rotation movement of amplitude limited by the stop 61 with which it cooperates in this position.

By this movement, the spring 57 releases the cleat 41 which can then be unlocked here by a pressure force exerted on the base of the lever 42.

Under the action of this force, the springs 53 and 54 are urged so that the lever 42 pivots about the axis 43 to a stop position. In this position, the cleat 41 is released from the housing 50 and the part of the opening 9 of the handle is released so that the door can thus be opened from inside the enclosure.

Of course, other implementations of the present invention could be envisaged without departing from the scope thereof.

For example, Figures 5 to 8 illustrate a second embodiment showing a variant in the operating handle.

There is a housing 101, having a bottom 102 and lateral and transverse walls 103-106, inside of which is housed a handle 107 for operation, having at one of its ends 108 an opening 109 for manual operation.

The rotation system of the handle relative to the housing is similar to the previous mode and its locking is authorized from a key cylinder 111, possibly protected by a cover 128. There is also a hinge pin 127 passing through apart the housing 101 and the handle 107.

The means for locking the door consist on the one hand of a guide ramp 140 provided on the handle in its middle part, and formed by a recess of the latter, and a cleat 141 associated with the barrel 111 and, on the other hand , by a locking lever 142 pivotally mounted about an axis 143 inside the housing 101, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

The lever 142 is particularly shown in FIG. 8 in the closed position, in solid lines, and in the open position, in dashed lines. At its upper part, it has a spout 144 which cooperates with the guide ramp 140 of the handle against which it is pressed by the return spring or springs 145.

When the external part is pressed projection 146 of the lever, the spring 145 is compressed and the spout 144 escapes from the guide ramp 140 during the rotation of the lever around the axis 143. This operation is authorized from the outside if the stopper 141 of the barrel is in position unlocked, as shown in phantom in Figure 6.

Indeed, on the contrary if the stopper 141 is in the locked position, as shown in strong lines in FIG. 6, it is not possible to push the external part 146 thanks to the retractable means 156 of the present invention, but it it will nevertheless be possible to act from the inside on lever 142.

In this regard, the lever 142 has, in its part opposite the cleat 141, a housing 150 provided to cooperate with the cleat and the retractable means, the dimensions of which are greater than those of the cleat, that is to say that the latter can cross said housing. However, in the normal position, this movement is prevented by a pin spring 157 secured to the lever 142 by one of its branches, in particular by a hinge pin 158 and a locking tab 159.

The other branch 160 is supported on either side of the housing 150, as shown in Figure 6, and opposes the rotation of the lever 142, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, if the stopper 141 is superior to him. Indeed, in this case, the branch 160 is sandwiched between the cleat 141 and the external part 161 of the lever.

However, the branch 160 can be rotated, as shown in the broken lines in Figure 6, thanks to the control device 164 operable from the inside whose operation allows two successive times.

Said device 164 is for example in the form of a flexible link secured to the end 162 of the branch 160 of the pin 157 then guided in the lever, in particular by the legs 163 and 166, and opens out towards the inside, in particular through the orifice 165 provided for this purpose in the housing 101.

When you pull the link flexible 164, the branch 160 of the pin spring will move, as shown in FIG. 6, to release the cleat 141 and allow the possible rotation of the lever 142 around the axis 143, then continuing said rotation, the branch 160 will be supported on the lug 163 and create a torque by the lug 166 to rotate the lever around the axis 143 and therefore allow unlocking from the inside, even if the device is locked from the outside.

Claims (10)

Device for closing a door, intended for isolated enclosures, comprising an interior volume accessible to a person and lockable from the outside, such as for example refrigerated enclosures, comprising a housing (1; 101) inside which is housed, in the closed position, a handle (7; 107) accessible only from the outside, characterized in that it comprises: - means for housing the handle (7; 107) inside the housing (1; 101), means for locking the door equipped with a pivoting lever (42; 142), separate from the means for housing the handle, - Means for unlocking the door associated by a connecting member to control means operable by a person from inside the enclosure. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for unlocking consist of a housing (50; 150) at the level of which is placed a cleat (41; 141) while being held there and blocked by retractable means (56; 156) between a position in which they block the cleat (41; 141) and a position in which they authorize its release, these retractable means (56; 156) being dissociated from the means allowing the release of the cleat (41; 141) and the pivoting of the lever (42; 142). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for locking the door consist firstly of a guide ramp (40; 140) and by a cleat (41; 141) associated with a mounted barrel (11; 111) on the handle (7), and on the other hand by the lever (42; 142), pivotally mounted about an axis (43; 143) inside the housing (1; 101), having a housing (50 ; 150) provided to cooperate with the cleat (41; 141) and the retractable means (56; 156) in the locked position. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the retractable means (56; 156) consist of a spring (57; 157), one end of which is subject to the lever (42; 142) and the other end of which (60; 160) can on the one hand cooperate with said housing (50; 150 ) and on the other hand cooperate with a stop (61; 163) to be maneuverable by a control device (64; 164) from inside the enclosure. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for accommodating the handle consist of a hinge pin (27; 127) passing right through the handle (7; 107) and the side walls (3, 4; 103, 104) of the housing (1; 101) in order to be joined to complementary elements for operating the door of the enclosure. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the handle (7) has at one end a housing (13) which has an oblong opening (14). Device according to claim 6, characterized in that a hinge pin (18) passes right through the housing (13) on which is movably mounted a cover (28) and in that an elastic member such as a spring (25) is secured to the hinge pin (18). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the lever (42) consists of a part which has a base (44) and a horizontal top (45) secured to two symmetrical side walls (46, 47). Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the lever (142) is articulated around an axis (143) integral with the housing (101) and has on the one hand a spout (144) which cooperates with a guide ramp ( 140) provided on the handle (107) and on the other hand the said housing (150) opposite the cleat (141), as well as different tabs (159, 163, 166) for holding the spring (157) , guide the control device (164) and constitute a support for driving the lever (142) in rotation during the internal unlocking. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the control device (164) is in the form of a flexible link secured to a branch (160) of a pin spring (157), opening inwards through an orifice (165) provided for this purpose in the housing ( 101).

Images