EP1241304A1

EP1241304A1 - Door Lock

Info

Publication number: EP1241304A1
Application number: EP02251853A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alyn Davies
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-03-16
Filing date: 2002-03-15
Publication date: 2002-09-18
Also published as: GB0106544D0

Abstract

A door lock comprises a first part (10) having a bolt (14) slidably mounted in a body (12) for fixing to a door, and a second port (20) for fixing to the door frame and comprising a body formed of resiliently deformable material and having a socket (24) to receive the end of the bolt (14), the socket (24) being open to the front of the keep body via a slit or reduced-depth channel (26).

Description

The present invention relates to a door lock.
A well-known form of door-lock comprises a bolt slidable in a body part fixed to the door, and a keep fixed to the door frame and having a bore to receive the end of the bolt when slid to a position in which it projects from its body part.
Such a lock is often forced, e.g. by pushing excessively hard on the door, and so breaking the keep. This is a common problem, particularly with the doors of toilet cubicles in public conveniences etc.
I have now devised a door lock which will resist being broken when forced.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a door lock which comprises a first part having a bolt slidably mounted in a body for fixing to a door, and a second part for fixing to the door frame and comprising a body formed of resiliently deformable material and having a socket to receive a projecting end of said bolt, said socket being open to the front of its body via a slit or reduced-depth channel.
Thus, if the lock is forced whilst the bolt is engaged with the socket in the second or keep part of the lock, the body of the keep will deform resiliently to allow the bolt to move forwardly out of the keep: however, the keep will then recover its original shape and can be reused.
Preferably the socket in the keep comprises a through-bore. Preferably the slit or reduced-depth channel in the keep extends the full width of the keep (i.e. lengthwise of the through-bore in the keep).
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a door lock in accordance with the present invention, shown with its bolt partially retracted;
FIGURE 2 is a similar view of the door lock, shown with its bolt fully extended into the keep of the lock;
FIGURE 3 is an end view of the door lock, shown with the bolt of the lock engaged with keep;
FIGURE 4 is a similar view of the door lock, having just been forced to disengage the bolt from the keep.
Referring to the drawings, the door lock comprises two parts, a bolt part 10 for fixing to the door and a keep 20 for fixing to the door frame. The bolt part 10 comprises an elongate body 12 formed with a longitudinal bore which receives a circular-section bolt 14. The body 12 has a flat rear surface for seating on the surface of the door, and is formed with a number of holes 11 to enable it to be fixed to the door using screws. The front of the body 12 is formed with a longitudinal opening 16, intermediate its opposite ends, which accommodates a handle 15 projecting forwardly from the side of the bolt 14.
The keep 20 comprises a body formed of resiliently deformable material and having a flat rear surface for seating against the surface of the door frame F (Figures 3 and 4).
The keep 20 is formed with a number of holes 22 for receiving screws to fix it in position. The keep is further formed with a bore 24, parallel to its rear surface, to receive the end of the bolt 14 when extended to project from the end of the body 12 of the bolt part 10. The front of the keep 20 is formed with a channel or slot 26, extending parallel to the bore 24 and communicating the bore 24 to the exterior at the front of the keep. The keep is thus formed with upper and lower jaws, separated by a gap 26 which is small relative to the diameter of the bore 24 (thus providing a reduced-depth channel). The gap may be zero, with the upper and lower jaws of the keep touching each other, such that a slit is provided rather than a slot or channel.
In use, the lock will perform in normal manner, the user grasping the handle 15 to slide the bolt 14 within its body 12 and so extend the bolt so that its end will enter the bore 24 in the keep 20, to secure the lock: the lock is released by sliding the bolt 14 in the retracting direction.
Should the lock be forced, when in its secured condition, e.g. by pushing excessively hard on the door, the bolt 14 will be forced forwardly out of the keep 20, as shown in Figure 4: thus, the top and bottom jaws of the keep will be forced apart under pressure from the bolt 14, to allow the bolt to move out of the bore 24, through the slot 26 and out of the keep 20. Because the keep is made of resiliently deformable material, it will now recover its original shape as it is not broken: the keep can now be re-used.

Claims

A door lock which comprises a first port having a bolt slidably mounted in a body for fixing to a door, and a second part for fixing to the door frame and comprising a body formed of resiliently deformable material and having a socket to receive an end of the bolt projecting from said first part, said socket being open to the front of its body via a slit or reduced-depth channel.
A door lock as claimed in claim 1, in which said socket in the keep comprises a through-bore.
A door lock as claimed in claim 2, in which said slit or channel extends the full length of said through-bore.