EP1130205A1

EP1130205A1 - Lock system for a cabinet door

Info

Publication number: EP1130205A1
Application number: EP01200561A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Theodorus Johannes Maria Smits
Original assignee: Minkels Products BV
Current assignee: Minkels Products BV
Priority date: 2000-02-18
Filing date: 2001-02-16
Publication date: 2001-09-05
Also published as: NL1014425C2; JP2001271544A

Abstract

A locking system (2) with a lock housing (40) inside which a toothed wheel (20) is disposed in a rotatable manner is described, which toothed wheel can be rotated by a central shaft (11) of a handle (10), and is in engagement with a bar part (71; 81; 90) which is provided with openings (131) and is disposed in a slidable manner inside the lock housing (40).

Assembly of the locking system is carried out at the application location. The central shaft (11) is inserted through a door panel (1), and the toothed wheel (20) is fitted directly onto the free end of this central shaft. Depending on the circumstances, one or more bar parts (71; 81; 90) are coupled to the toothed wheel (20). The lock housing (40) is in the form of a bottomless cap which is slided over the toothed wheel (20) and the bar parts (71; 81; 90) and is then fixed relative to the door panel (1).

Description

The present invention relates to a door-locking system, more particularly a locking system for a cabinet door, which system can be used in particular for an access door of a housing for electronic equipment.
In order to protect it, electronic equipment, in particular equipment for data processing and telecommunications processing, is normally mounted in electronics housings. To this end, a mounting rack is provided in a housing, for the purpose of mounting therein the equipment to be protected, which is normally of the known 19-inch system. The dimensions of this type of equipment are standardized, as are the external dimensions of the housings. However, in this field a changeover is taking place from the conventional 19-inch system to a metric system, in the case of which the dimensions of the equipment to be protected increase slightly compared with the dimensions of the conventional 19-inch system. It is desired also to be able to mount this new equipment with metric dimensions in existing housings, with the mounting rack in such a housing actually being adapted to the new dimensions of the metric equipment, but with the external dimensions of the housing itself remaining unchanged. A problem here is that the access door to the housing is provided with a locking system in which a number of parts are situated on the inside of the cabinet door, which parts could come into contact with protruding parts such as buttons and switches and cable connectors of the larger equipment according to the new metric system. It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a locking system that is as compact as possible.
There are various types of electronic housings, such as cabinets with right-hand or left-hand doors, and doors with a one-point, two-point or three-point lock. In the case of a one-point lock, a door has a locking lip at a side edge; in the case of a two-point locking system, a door has a locking facility at its top edge and its bottom edge; in the case of a three-point system, a door has both a locking lip at its side edge, according to the one-point locking system, and the locking facilities according to the two point system at its top and bottom edges. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a locking system that can be used in all the abovementioned situations with as few parts as possible.
As is known, a one-handle locking system for a two-point lock comprises two locking bars, directed upwards and downwards respectively from a handle, for operating the lock at the top edge and the bottom edge respectively of a door. By turning the handle, said locking bars are shifted in the vertical direction, in order to bring about the locking and unlocking respectively. For this purpose, the locking bars are provided with a pattern of holes in which a toothed wheel connected to the handle engages. In the case of the locking systems used in practice until now, said toothed wheel has been rotatably mounted in a block-shaped housing, consisting of two substantially identical housing halves undetachably connected to each other. In order to permit use for both left-hand and right-hand doors, the housing can be mounted in two different orientations on a door surface, which orientations are rotated through 180° relative to each other. This implies a symmetrical construction of the toothed wheel housing in relation to a central plane parallel to the door panel, with the result that the toothed wheel housing has relatively large dimensions in the direction perpendicular to said plane.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a locking system in which those dimensions are reduced. More particularly, the present invention aims to provide a locking system wherein the axial distance between a locking lip and a door panel can be as small as possible.
In the case of a one-point locking system, no vertical locking bars are present, but a slidable bar part with a pattern of holes is in fact accommodated in the toothed wheel housing, in engagement with the abovementioned toothed wheel, in order to provide a stop for the handle. In the case of a two-point and a three-point locking system, on the other hand, the abovementioned locking bars are in fact present. Since in the case of the known locking system the toothed wheel is enclosed in the toothed wheel housing, as are any locking bars, while the toothed wheel housing cannot be opened other than by wrecking it, the toothed wheel housing can be only designed either for a one-point system or for a two-point or three-point system, and the choice must be known in advance when the toothed wheel housing is being manufactured. This is an inconvenience when the toothed wheel housings are being manufactured, and also means that a relatively large number of different parts must be held in stock.
It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a locking system that can be used with fewer parts for all types of doors.
According to an important aspect of the present invention, the toothed wheel is mounted directly on a central shaft of the control handle, and the housing is a bottomless housing which is not fitted over the toothed wheel until after said toothed wheel has been mounted on the control handle. Thus, the question of whether the locking system is mounted for one-point, two-point or three-point application, and for a left-hand or a right-hand door, does not have to be decided until the time at which the locking system is being fitted on a door.
These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be explained in greater detail by the following description of a preferred embodiment of a locking system according to the invention with reference to the drawing, in which the same reference numerals indicate the same or comparable parts, and in which:
figures 1A-B and 2A-B are diagrammatic perspective views of a locking system;
figures 3A-C illustrate diagrammatically a known lock housing; figures 4A-B illustrate diagrammatically a lock housing according to the present invention; and
figure 5 shows diagrammatically a top view of a toothed wheel with two locking bars.
Figures 1A and 1B show a front view and a rear view respectively of a part of a door plate 1, with a three-point locking system 2 fitted thereon, in the closed position, while figures 2A and 2B show comparable perspective views with the locking system 2 in the opened position or release position. In the example shown, the door 1 is a right-hand door, by which it is meant that, viewed from the user's position, the hinges are situated along the right-hand side edge of the door.
The locking system 2 comprises a central shaft 11, which is rotatable relative to the door panel 1, and the axis of rotation 11A of which is directed substantially perpendicular relative to the door panel 1. For the rotation of the central shaft 11, the locking system 2 comprises a control handle 10, which is directed substantially perpendicular to said central shaft 11. Although not essential for the technical functioning, it is desirable for the control handle 10 in the closed position of the locking system 2 to have a vertical orientation, as shown in figure 1A, and for the central shaft 11 to rotate through an angle of more than 90° when the locking system 2 is taken from the closed position to the release position, as illustrated in figure 2A. The rotational movement of the control handle 10 from the closed position to the release position is indicated in figure 2A by the curved arrow P1.
The locking system 2 is fitted in the vicinity of the free side edge 1C, in this example the left side edge, of the door panel 1. A locking lip 50 is coupled to the central shaft 11. In the closed position of the locking system 2, the locking lip 50 is directed from the central shaft 11 towards the free side edge 1C of the door panel 1, so that the locking lip 50 can act upon a corresponding locking lip or engage in a corresponding locking opening made in a corner upright of a protective cabinet. Said closed position of the locking lip 50 is shown clearly in figure 1B. When the central shaft 11 is rotated by means of the control handle 10 to the release position of the locking system, the locking lip 50 rotates away from the free side edge 1C of the door panel 1, as indicated by arrow P2 in figure 2B.
The locking system 2 in the embodiment shown also comprises two locking bars 70 and 80, which extend along the rear wall 1B of the door panel 1 substantially in the vertical direction, in the direction of the bottom edge and the top edge of the door panel 1 respectively. These locking bars 70 and 80 are axially displaceable in the vertical direction and are connected to said central shaft in a manner that will be described later, in such a way that a rotation of said central shaft 11 results in an axial displacement of the locking bars 70 and 80. When the locking system 2 is in the closed position, the vertical extension of the locking bars 70 and 80 is relatively great. In this position they can achieve locking of the bottom edge and the top edge respectively of the door panel 1 with a bottom edge and top edge respectively of a protective cabinet, which locking can be achieved in an otherwise conventional manner and for the sake of simplicity is therefore not illustrated. When the central shaft 11 is rotated by means of the control handle 10, in order to bring the locking system 2 into the release position, the bottom locking bar 70 moves upwards in order to eliminate the locking at the bottom edge of the door panel, and the top locking bar moves downwards in order to eliminate the locking at the top edge of the door panel 1, as indicated by the arrows P3 and P4 respectively in figure 2B.
The locking system 2 further comprises a lock housing 40, which is fixed by means of screws 41 to the rear side 1B of the door plate 1. The lock housing 40 is in a substantially block-shaped form, with a top wall 42 extending substantially parallel to the door panel 1, two lateral side walls 43₁ and 43₂ extending substantially vertically and substantially perpendicular to the door panel 1, and two end- face side walls 44₁ and 44₂ extending substantially horizontally and substantially perpendicular to the door panel 1. A top end 71 of the bottom locking bar 70 and a bottom end 81 of the top locking bar 80 are guided in a sliding manner in the lock housing 40.
In principle, the locking bars 70 and 80 can have any suitable cross sectional contour. In the example shown, the locking bars 70 and 80 are in the form of a strip with a substantially rectangular cross sectional contour. On the one hand, the possibility of relatively simple manufacture is thereby combined with relatively great strength, while, on the other hand, the lock housing 40 for the slide-guiding function thereof can be of a simple construction. In the example shown, it is shown that the bottom end 81 of the top locking bar 80 rests against the internal surface of the first lateral side wall 43₁ of the lock housing 40 facing the free side edge 1C of the door panel 1, and that the top end 71 of the bottom locking bar 70 rests against the internal surface of the second lateral side wall 43₂ of the lock housing 40 facing away from said free side edge 1C. A passage opening 45₁ is provided for this purpose in the bottom end-face side wall 44₁ of the lock housing 40, the contour of which opening corresponds to the cross sectional contour of the top end 71 of the bottom locking bar 70. Said passage opening 45₁ in the bottom end-face side wall 44₁ connects directly to the second lateral side wall 43₂ of the lock housing 40.
The vertical dimension of the lock housing 40, in other words the length of the lateral sides thereof, can be so great that the ends 71 and 81 of the locking bars 70 and 80 in the release position also are fully accommodated in the housing 40. In the embodiment shown, however, in the release position, the top end 71 of the bottom vertical locking bar 70 is projecting from the lock housing 40 at the top end-face side wall 44₂. For this purpose, a passage opening 46₂, connecting to the second lateral side wall 43₂, is provided in the top end-face side wall 44₂. In a comparable way, a passage opening 46₁, connecting to the first lateral side wall 43₁, is provided in the bottom end face wall 44₁, for the purpose of allowing through the bottom end 81 of the top locking bar 80 in the closed position thereof. The lock housing 40 is thus substantially mirror-symmetrical relative to a vertically directed central plane running through the axis of rotation 11A of the central shaft 11.
In the perspective rear views of figures 1B and 2B is shown that the locking bars 70 and 80 can be bent in a suitable manner. With regard to the top vertical locking bar 80, it can be seen that the bottom end 81 passes by way of an S-bend 82 into a central part 83. The bottom vertical locking bar 70 likewise has a central part 73 which by way of an S-bend can connect to the top end 71, but which in the embodiment shown connects to the top end 71 by way of two opposite S- bends 72A and 72B and a straight part 72C situated therebetween. By means of the substantially U-shaped part 72A, 72B, 72C, the bottom locking bar 70 leaves clear a space 3, shown by dotted lines in figure 1B, where a lock mechanism can be provided for the control handle 10 in its closed position, but this lock mechanism, for the sake of simplicity, is not shown in the figures. The said S- bends 82, 72A and 72B are dimensioned in such a way that the said central parts 73 and 83 of the vertical locking bars 70 and 80 are situated substantially in line with each other.
The locking bars 70 and 80 can have a length that corresponds to the vertical dimension of the door panel 1, calculated from the lock housing 40, so that each locking bar 70, 80 extends from the lock housing 40 as an integral whole to the bottom edge and the top edge respectively of the door panel
1. This would, however, mean that the locking bars 70 and 80 have to have relatively large dimensions, and it would also mean that the locking bars 70, 80 have to be made to measure for each individual door panel on which the locking system 2 in question is to be fitted. It is therefore preferable that the locking bars 70 and 80 have a predetermined length, for example of the order of 20 to 40 cm, and at their ends facing away from the lock housing are provided with connecting means for connecting the locking bars 70 and 80 to respective extension bars. If such connecting means are designed to bring about the connection in various axial positions, so that the total length of the locking bar 70, 80 can be set with its respective extension bar, use can still be made of extension bars with a standard length, in order to produce locking bars with a total length that is adjustable. Such connecting means advantageously comprise transverse pins going out from the locking bars 70, 80 andonnecting holes provided in the extension bars, for the accommodation of said transverse pins, or vice versa.
The embodiment shown of the locking system 2 is a so-called three-point type, which means that locking of the door panel 1 relative to a protective cabinet can be achieved at three points, namely at the free side edge 1C by means of the locking lip 50, and at the bottom edge and the top edge by the bottom locking bar 70 and the top locking bar 80 respectively. It is, however, also possible that a locking is achieved with the locking lip 50 alone, so that the locking bars 70 and 80 can be omitted, in which case the locking system is indicated as a one-point type. If the locking is achieved by means of the locking bars 70 and 80 alone, thus omitting the locking lip 50, the locking system is indicated as a two-point type.
Figure 3A shows diagrammatically a perspective view of a known lock housing 140. Figure 3B shows a diagrammatic horizontal longitudinal section thereof, and figure 3C shows a diagrammatic cross section thereof.
The known lock housing 140 is in the form of a closed box, constructed of two housing parts 140A and 140B, which are identical to each other and are undetachably fixed to each other. A toothed wheel 120 is rotatably disposed in the housing 140, which toothed wheel 120 has a centrally profiled through hole 121, generally a square hole. The teeth 122 of the toothed wheel 120 are shown in the longitudinal section of figure 3B and in the cross section of figure 3C, and it can be seen clearly that their ends extend until in the vicinity of the internal surface of the lateral side walls 43₁ and 43₂ of the lock housing 140. A side view of an end 71, 81 of a locking bar 70, 80 is also schetched in figure 3B, in order to illustrate that said end is provided with a number of holes 131 in which the successive teeth 122 of the toothed wheel 120 engage when said end 71, 81 of said locking bar 70, 80 is situated inside the lock housing 140 and extends along the internal surface of a lateral side wall. It will then be clear that a rotation of said toothed wheel 120 produces an axial displacement of said locking bar 70, 80.
The maximum axial freedom of movement of the locking bar 70, 80 is determined by the number of holes 131 that are provided next to each other in said'locking bar. In the example shown, five of such holes 131, with a hole width of approximately 4 mm and a distance between holes of approximately 2 mm, are present. The extreme positions of the locking bar 70, 80 are then determined by a tooth 122 knocking against the locking bar 70, 80 at a position before the first or after the last hole 131. The total axial freedom of movement of a locking bar 70, 80 is then 23 mm.
In this case an axial movement of a locking bar 70, 80 from the closed position to the release position, as indicated by the arrows P3 and P4 in figure 2B, corresponds to a certain direction of rotation of the toothed wheel 120, namely to the left in figure 3B, and thus to a certain direction of rotation of the control handle 10, as indicated by the arrow P1 in figure 2A. As mentioned, in the case of this known lock housing 140, the housing parts 140A and 140B are undetachably connected to each other, and the bar parts 132 adjacent the outermost holes 131 form a stop for the teeth 122 of the toothed wheel 120, so that it is impossible to remove the locking bars 70, 80 from the known lock housing 140. The known lock housing 140, together with the toothed wheel 120 rotatably mounted therein and the locking bars 70 and 80 slidably fitted therein, thus forms a complete unit. In order to make it possible for this unit to be usable for both left-hand doors and right-hand doors, so that situations in which a displacement of a locking bar in the direction of the release position corresponds to a rotation of the toothed wheel 120 to the right are also possible, the unit formed by the abovementioned lock housing 140, the toothed wheel 120 and the locking bars 70 and 80 is mirror-symmetrical relative to a central plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation 11A. During fitting of the lock housing on a door panel 1, the direction of fitting is then adapted to the type of door. More particularly, the top housing part 140A is shown with a top wall 42 in figure 3A, and the corresponding wall 142 of the second housing part 140B is a bottom wall. As mentioned, the known lock housing 140 is mirror-symmetrical relative to the contact face between the two housing parts 140A and 140B, so that the lock housing 140 can also be fitted upside down, in which case the face 42 of the first housing part 140A then faces downwards.
In figure 3C, a cross section is shown of the known lock housing 140, fitted on the rear wall 1B of a door panel 1. An ornamental frame 12 of the control handle 10 is fitted on the front wall 1A of the door panel 1, which ornamental frame 12 is provided with a projection 13, extending from the front wall 1A through a hole in the door panel 1 to beyond the rear wall 1B of the door panel. The said hole in the door panel 1 is of a rectangular shape, and the projection 13 is of a corresponding shape, fitting into said hole. The dimensions of said hole are slightly smaller than the dimensions of the lock housing 41, and a peripheral edge 143 is provided on the bottom face 142, which peripheral edge fits round the part of said projection 13 of the ornamental frame 12 projecting through said hole of the door panel 1. When the lock housing 140 is in position, it is secured by said peripheral edge 143 for rotating relative to the ornamental frame 12 and relative to the door panel 1. It can be seen in figure 3C and in figure 3A that such a peripheral edge 143 is also provided on the top wall 42 of the lock housing 140. This top peripheral edge is ineffective in the orientation shown, but fulfils the rotation-locking function when the lock housing 140 is fitted the other way round.
As shown clearly in figures 3B and 3C, the known toothed wheel 120 has a central disc 123, the said teeth 122 being formed on the circumference of said disc 123. A top guide ring 124A is provided on the top surface of the disc 123, and a bottom guide ring 124B is formed on the bottom surface of the disc 123. From the bottom wall of the housing 140, a supporting table 125B extends upwards, and from the top wall 42 of the lock housing 140, a supporting table 125A extends downwards. The disc 123 is disposed with slight play between a bottom surface of the top supporting table 125A and a top surface of the bottom supporting table 125B. This play is such that a rotation of the disc 123 is permitted, but an axial displacement of the toothed wheel 120 relative to the lock housing 140 is substantially counteracted. In the lateral direction, the toothed wheel 120 is supported by a circular hole in the top supporting table 125A, which extends with slight radial play around the top ring 124A of the toothed wheel 120, and a corresponding hole in the bottom supporting table 125B, which extends around the bottom ring 124B.
In the situation of use, the central shaft 11 of the control handle 10 runs from the front side of the door panel 1 through an opening in the ornamental frame 12, and in doing so extends beyond the rear surface of the said projection 13. In order to accommodate this projecting part of the central shaft 11 of the control handle 10, the bottom supporting table comprises an opening or accommodation area 128B. On account of the symmetry, the top supporting table comprises a comparable accommodation area 128A. From the free end of the central shaft 11 onwards, a profiled projection 14 extends into the hole 121 of the toothed wheel 120, for the rotational coupling between control handle 10 and toothed wheel 120.
The lock housing 140 can be fixed to the ornamental frame 12 by means of screws, not shown for the sake of simplicity, and the ornamental frame 12 also comprises bearings for the control handle 10. For the fitting of a locking lip 50, which is not shown in figures 3A to 3C, said locking lip is fixed by means of a screw to the toothed wheel 120, for which purpose the central shaft 11 is provided with a central screw hole.
As can be seen clearly in figure 3C, the axial dimension of the known lock housing 140, in other words the dimension indicated by the letter H in figure 3C, measured along the direction of the axis of rotation 11A of the control handle 10, is relatively great. The toothed wheel 120 lies fully enclosed in the lock housing 140, for which purpose a supporting table 125A, 125B must be present on either side of the disc part 123. For the sake of the symmetry, the disc 123 must be provided both at its top side and at its bottom side with a guide ring 124A, 124B, and both the bottom supporting table 125B and the top supporting table 125A must be provided with an accommodation area 128B, 128A which is large enough to accommodate the end of the central shaft 11. In addition, the lock housing 140 must be provided with a peripheral edge 143 on both its top surface and its bottom surface. Because of this all, the said dimension H is fairly great. Consequently, the distance of the locking lip 50 from the rear surface 1A of the door panel 1 is fairly great.
Figure 4A shows a perspective view, comparable to figure 3A, of a preferred embodiment of a lock housing 40 according to the present invention, and figure 4B shows a cross section comparable to figure 3C.
Figures 4A-B illustrate that a locking system according to the present invention has been greatly simplified compared with the known locking system. The parts 11, 12 and 13 of the control handle 10 are identical to those shown in figure 3C, because the new locking system according to the present invention is intended to be suitable for use also in the case of existing control handles. The toothed wheel 20 with its profiled hole 21, preferably a square hole, is now fixed directly on the end 14 of the central shaft 11 of the control handle 10. A bottomless housing 40 is positioned over the toothed wheel 20, which housing has in its top surface 42 a passage opening 61, the edge 62 of which extends around a top collar part 63 of the toothed wheel 20. The housing 40 is fixed directly on the ornamental frame 12 by means of screws not shown for the sake of simplicity. The toothed wheel 20 is fixed on the central shaft 11 by means of a screw, likewise for the sake of simplicity not shown. If the locking system comprises a locking lip 50 for a one-point or a three-point system, said locking lip 50 is clamped by said screw on the toothed wheel 20 and/or on the central shaft 11.
It has been stated above that the locking system can comprise two locking bars 70 and 80 in the case of a two-point or a three-point system. Said locking bars rest slidably against the internal surface of the lateral side walls 43 of the lock housing. As discussed above, in the case of the known lock housing the bars are constantly associated with the housing, and cannot be removed from it. In the case of the locking system according to the present invention, however, it is determined at the time of fitting the locking system on the door panel 1 whether it is a matter of a left-hand or a right-hand door, the locking bars 70 and 80 are coupled in a suitable manner to the one side or the other side of the toothed wheel 20 (left or right in figure 4B), and the bottomless housing 40 is then positioned over the toothed wheel 20 and the fitted bars 70 and 80, by sliding the bottomless housing 40 in the axial direction over the toothed wheel 20 and the fitted bars 70 and 80. Hereby it is therefore not necessary to assemble beforehand and to keep in stock a unit consisting of a housing 140 with two housing parts 140A and 140B, a toothed wheel 120 and two bars 70 and 80, but the parts can be assembled as desired at the application location. It can be seen clearly from figure 4A that the fitting of the housing 40 by axial sliding is possible through the fact that the passage openings 45₁ and 46₁ in the end-face side wall 44₁ run through to the bottom end of this end-face side wall 44₁; the same applies to the passage openings 45₂ and 46₂ (not visible in figure 4A) in the end-face side wall 44₂.
As can be seen from the cross section of figure 4B, the toothed wheel 20 needs not be symmetrical, as is the case with the known toothed wheel 120, because during the assembly the locking system 2 according to the present invention is adapted to a left-hand or right-hand door, and to a desired one-point, two-point or three-point lock by positioning the bars 70, 80 to the left or right of the toothed wheel 20 and only then fitting the housing 40. Hereby, the toothed wheel 20 can have a more efficient shape, and more particularly the axial distance between the teeth 22 of the toothed wheel 20 and the door panel 1 can be reduced.
Further, it can be seen clearly from figure 4B that the total height H of the lock housing 40 has been reduced compared with the total height H of the known lock housing 140, because the top wall can be entirely flat, because the peripheral edge 143 along the top face can be omitted, and because no opening (128A) need be present on the top side for accommodating the end of the central shaft 11 in the inverted state.
Figure 5 shows diagrammatically a top view of the toothed wheel 20 and two end parts 71 and 81 of two locking bars 70 and 80 in engagement therewith, the locking system being in the closed position. The housing 40 is not shown in figure 5. In order to move the locking system from the closed position to the release position, rotation of the toothed wheel 20 to the left is necessary in figure 5; conversely, the locking system has reached the closed position shown in figure 5 by rotation of the toothed wheel to the right. It is desirable that the closed position can be felt as a stop, and that the toothed wheel 20 (and thus the handle 10) can not be rotated further. It can be seen in figure 5 that the toothed wheel 20 cannot rotate further to the left because the last openings 131 of the bars 70 and 80 have been reached. The two teeth 22, situated diametrically opposite each other that are in engagement with these last openings 131, will be indicated by the term "end tooth".
The teeth 22_Y of the toothed wheel 20 situated directly next to the end teeth 22_Z, which teeth 22_Y in the closed position come into contact with the locking bars 70 and 80 and thus prevent a further rotation of the toothed wheel 20, will be indicated by the term "stop tooth". On account of the desired symmetry, the end teeth 22_Z are in an orientation substantially perpendicular to the locking bars 70, 80 in the closed position, as shown. In order to make that possible while the end teeth 22_Z are still projecting relatively deeply into the openings 131 in the locking bars 70, 80, the dimensions of the stop teeth 22_Y are adapted; preferably, and as illustrated, the stop teeth 22_Y are bevelled according to a plane that in this closed position coincides with the internal surface of the locking bars.
The teeth 22_X of the toothed wheel 20, situated at the other side next to the end teeth 22_Z are also stop teeth and are bevelled in a similar way. In the embodiment shown they are not effective as a stop. However, if the locking bars 70 and 80 change position with each other, which corresponds to making a locking system suitable for a left-hand or a right-hand door, it is those other stop teeth 22_X that in the closed position prevent further rotation of the toothed wheel 20 (then to the left in figure 5).
If the locking system is to be used in a one-point lock, the abovementioned locking bars 70 and 80 can be omitted. In their place, one auxiliary locking bar 90 (two may also be used, but one is sufficient) is then coupled to the toothed wheel 20. This auxiliary locking bar 90 is of a shape and has openings that are comparable to the ends of the locking bars 70 and 80 described above, and the interaction with the toothed wheel 20 is accordingly the same, but the length of the auxiliary locking bar 90 can then be much shorter than that of the said locking bars 70 and 80.
If the locking system is of the one-point or of the three-point type, a locking lip 50 (see figure 1B) is fixed on the toothed wheel 20. In one embodiment a locking lip 50 is in the form of a plate with a hole provided therein, the contour of which hole corresponds to the contour of the hole in the toothed wheel 20. That is advantageously a square contour. In the hole of the toothed wheel 20, a coupling sleeve is placed on the end 14 of the central shaft 11, which coupling sleeve has an external contour that provides rotation locking of, on the one hand, this coupling sleeve relative to the toothed wheel 20 and, on the other hand, this coupling sleeve relative to the locking lip 50. The coupling sleeve advantageously has a square external contour. It is advantageous if the length of the coupling sleeve is such that the coupling sleeve placed on the end 14 of the central shaft 11 extends into the hole of the locking lip 50, but does not project above the top surface of the locking lip 50.
The present invention thus provides a locking system 2 with a lock housing 40 inside which a toothed wheel 20 is disposed in a rotatable manner, which toothed wheel can be rotated by a central shaft 11 of a handle 10, and is in engagement with a bar part 71; 81; 90 which is provided with openings 131 and is disposed in a slidable manner inside the lock housing 40.
Assembly of the locking system is carried out at the application location. The central shaft 11 is inserted through a door panel 1, and the toothed wheel 20 is fitted directly on the free end of this central shaft. Depending on the circumstances, one or more bar parts 71; 81; 90 is/are connected to the toothed wheel 20. The lock housing 40 is in the form of a bottomless cap which is shifted over the toothed wheel 20 and the bar parts 71; 81; 90 and is then fixed relative to the door panel 1.
It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the scope of the present invention is not restricted to the examples discussed above, but that various changes and modifications thereof are possible without deviating from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

Locking system, comprising:

a central shaft (11) extending through a door panel (1) and having a control handle (10) situated on a front side (1A) of the door panel (1) and a free end (14) situated on a rear side (1B) of the door panel (1);

a lock housing (40) fixed on the rear side (1B) of the door panel (1);

at least one bar part (71; 81; 90) disposed slidably inside the lock housing (40) and guided along an internal surface of a lateral side wall (43₁; 43₂) ;

a toothed wheel (20) disposed rotatably inside the lock housing (40), which for rotation is coupled to the free end of said central shaft (11), and is provided with teeth (22) which engage in openings (131) of said bar part (71; 81; 90); characterized in:

that the toothed wheel (20) is fixed directly on the free end of said central shaft (11);

and that the lock housing (40) is in the form of a bottomless cap.
Locking system according to claim 1, wherein, at its axial end facing away from the central shaft (11), the toothed wheel (20) has a cylindrical guide collar (63) which for rotation is guided through a rotation bearing (62) of the lock housing (40); characterized in that said rotation bearing (62) is in the form of the peripheral edge of a circular hole (61) in the top wall (42) of the housing (40).
Locking system according to claim 2, wherein said top wall (42) of the housing (40) is substantially flat.
Locking system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the toothed wheel (20) is provided with two end teeth (22_Z) situated diametrically opposite each other, the connecting line of which in a closed position of the locking system (2) is in an orientation substantially perpendicular relative to said slidable bar part (71; 81; 90), and wherein the toothed wheel (20) is provided with four stop teeth (22_X, 22_Y) situated next to said end teeth (22_Z), the dimensions of which are such that in said closed position they just touch the surface of the bar part (71; 81; 90) facing the toothed wheel (20).
Locking system according to claim 4, wherein said stop teeth (22_X, 22_Y) are bevelled according to a plane in an orientation substantially perpendicular to said end teeth (22_Z).
Locking system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the toothed wheel (20) is provided with a profiled hole (21), preferably a square profile, and wherein the free end of the central shaft (11) is provided with a profiled projection (14) fitting into said profiled hole of the toothed wheel (20) and having therein an axial hole that is preferably threaded.
Locking system according to any of the preceding claims, provided with a locking lip (50) coupled for rotation to the toothed wheel (20).
Locking system according to claim 7 insofar as dependent upon claim 6, wherein the locking lip (50) is provided with a profiled hole whose profile corresponds to the profile of said profiled hole of the toothed wheel (20), the profiled projection (14) of the central shaft (11) having a length shorter than the axial length of said profiled hole of the toothed wheel (20), and wherein a profiled coupling piece is provided that fits into said profiled hole of the toothed wheel (20) and into said profiled hole of the locking lip (50).
Locking system, intended for fitting along a free side edge (1C) of a door panel (1), comprising:

a central shaft (11) with a control handle (10) and a free end;

a toothed wheel (20), suitable for direct fixing to the free end of the central shaft (11);

a bar part (71; 81; 90) provided with openings (131) and suitable for being brought into engagement with the teeth (22) of the toothed wheel (20);

a bottomless lock housing (40) suitable for fitting over the combination of the toothed wheel (20) and bar part (71; 81; 90) in engagement with each other, in such a way that the lock housing (40) then guides the toothed wheel (20) for rotation and guides the bar part (71; 81; 90) for sliding.
Locking system according to claim 9, wherein the toothed wheel (20) is provided with two end teeth (22_Z) situated diametrically opposite each other, and with four stop teeth (22_X, 22_Y) situated next to said end teeth (22_Z) which are bevelled according to a plane substantially perpendicular to said end teeth (22_Z).