EP1826341A1

EP1826341A1 - Multipoint lock assembly

Info

Publication number: EP1826341A1
Application number: EP07101131A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Marko Lindström
Original assignee: Bjorkboda Las Oy AB
Current assignee: Bjorkboda Las Oy AB
Priority date: 2006-02-28
Filing date: 2007-01-25
Publication date: 2007-08-29
Also published as: FI20065143A0; FI120749B; EA200700183A1; EA011133B1; FI20065143A

Abstract

A multipoint lock assembly for a door, hatch or the like, which assembly comprises a lock casing (1), which is provided with a front plate (2) and at least one bolt (3) movable through the front plate, and at least one locking element (9, 10, 11, 12) for securing the door, hatch or the like to the frame on the opposite side of the lock casing (1) with respect to the front plate (2). The locking element (9, 10, 11, 12) is arranged in a separate locking unit (7) to be attached to the lock casing. In addition, the arrangement comprises a force transmission element (3a) movable in accordance with the movements of the bolt (3) and extending through the back wall (1 b) of the lock casing for moving said locking element (9, 10, 11, 12) between a locking position and a free position.

Description

The present invention relates to a multipoint lock assembly for a door, hatch or the like according to the preamble of claim 1, which assembly comprises a lock casing, which is provided with a front plate and at least one bolt movable through the front plate, and at least one locking element for securing the door, hatch or the like to the frame on the opposite side of the lock casing with respect to the front plate.
Depending on the application there may exist a need in doors, hatchs or the like to secure them to their frames also at another point than at the front plate of the lock casing. Examples of this kind of applications are safety doors and fire doors, which are for the sake of durability advantageously secured to the frame at several points. For new applications it is then possible to choose such a lock casing, which is ready-fitted with locking bars to be connected e.g. to the upper frame and the lower frame, which bars together with the actual bolt of the lock casing secure the door or hatch to the frame. Generally, these locks are special locks. In applications, where the aim is to improve the purpose of use or the safety afterwards, it will become necessary to replace the entire locking system of the door starting from the lock casing itself, which incurs considerable costs.
A purpose of the invention is to provide a new kind of multipoint lock assembly minimising the problems related to prior art. In particular, a purpose of the invention is to provide an assembly, by means of which an original basic lock casing may be utilised both in new applications and in the existing applications to be reconditioned to satisfy locking needs of various kinds. A purpose is also to be able to apply the solution to different kinds of basic lock casings irrespective of whether they are actuated e.g. by cylinder locks or whether the lock casing itself comprises tumbler elements as well. A purpose of the invention is to provide a low-cost locking arrangement having a simple structure for the various needs of the applications.
The objects of the invention are primarily achieved as disclosed in the appended claim 1, and more closely as explained in the other claims. According to the invention, a locking element is arranged in a separate locking unit to be attached to the lock casing. In addition, the arrangement comprises a force transmission element movable in accordance with the movements of the bolt and extending through the back wall of the lock casing for moving the locking element between a locking position and a free position. Thus, according to the invention, the improvement of durability required for a door or hatch by means of multipoint locking can be accomplished in a simple manner by a single basic lock casing with minor modifications by connecting a separate locking unit thereto, by means of which the actual multipoint locking can be arranged.
In practise, said force transmission element may be a separate element in force transmission connection with the bolt or it may be a part of the body of the bolt movable inside the lock casing.
The force transmission element is preferably provided with a guiding pin, which is arranged in cooperation with the guide groove of the locking element for guiding the movements of the locking element. In this case, the guide groove is further arranged obliquely with respect to the force transmission movements of the force transmission element. The solution is applicable in arrangements, in which the additional locking involves the frame above and/or below the door.
Similarly, in case securing is required also to the opposite door frame with respect to the front plate of the lock casing, the locking unit is preferably provided with a guiding member pivotable with the force transmission element, which member is arranged to guide the movements of the locking element. Both these solutions can be applied simultaneously, if so required, whereby the locking unit may preferably be provided with at least two locking elements movable in transverse operational directions with respect to one another.
A separate locking unit enables a locking bar to be connected to each locking element for securing the locking element to the respective frame section, while the bolt of the lock casing is in its locked position.
The fastening of the locking unit to the lock casing is preferably provided by arranging openings for fasteners in the back wall of the housing of the lock casing.
In the following, the invention is explained by way of example with reference to the appended drawings, in which

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the assembly according to the invention in partial section, when the locking elements are in a locked position;
Figure 2 shows the assembly according to Figure 1, when the locking elements are in a free position;
Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the assembly according to the invention in partial section, when the locking elements are in a locked position;
Figure 4 shows the assembly according to Figure 3, when the locking elements are in a free position; and
Figure 5 shows a few alternative ways to arrange the locking elements in the assembly according to the invention.

In the drawings the reference number 1 refers to a lock casing comprising a housing 1a and a front plate 2. The lock casing 1 is provided with a bolt 3 and means for moving the bolt to its protruding locking position (figures 1 and 2) and to its retracted free position inside the lock casing 1 (figures 3 and 4). The invention can be applied to various kinds of lock casings, whereby the means for locking and moving the bolt are as such previously known and depend on the lock casing in question. Since they are also irrelevant to the invention itself, they are not described in more detail herein. The figures show, only by way of example, tumblers 4 accommodated slightly inside the lock casing, which tumblers may be arranged by means of a not-shown key through a keyhole 5 so that they allow the moving of the bolt. For the sake of simplicity the figures show neither the door, or the like hatch, itself, in which the lock casing is mounted, nor the doorframe.
According to the invention the lock casing 1 is provided with a locking unit 7, which is by means of suitable fasteners attached to the lock casing. In the embodiments according to the figures, simple fixture pins 8 are used for the attachment. For this purpose the back wall 1 b of the housing 1 a of the lock casing is provided with openings 1 b'.
The solution according to the invention is based on some force transmission element movable back and forth inside the lock casing 1. In the solution according to the figures this force transmission element 3a is the body of the bolt 3 inside the lock casing of the bolt dimensioned so as to project out of the lock casing 1 through an opening 1 b" in the back wall 1b. The end of the force transmission element 3a is provided a guiding pin 6, which is arranged to guide one or several locking elements 9, 10, 11 or 12. The actual locking bars, which are in cooperation with the doorframe, are supported and guided by these elements in a manner known as such, and therefore also the locking bars are omitted in this illustration.
The force transmission to the locking bars is provided by utilising openings 9a, 10a, 11 a and 12a in the locking elements. The locking unit 7 is provided with a guide groove 7a for the guiding pin 6 for guiding the movements of the force transmission element 3a.
In the embodiment according to figures 1 and 2 the locking unit 7 is provided with a locking element 9 in conjunction with the lower frame (not shown) and a locking element 10 in conjunction with the upper frame (not shown). These are provided with respective guide grooves 9a and 10a, which are in force transmission connection with the guiding pin 6 and arranged obliquely with respect to the direction of the movement of the bolt 3 and thus to that of the force transmission element 3a. Thus, the movement of the force transmission element 3a actuates a movement of the locking elements 9 and 10 perpendicular thereto for moving them between the locked position shown in figure 1 and the free position shown in figure 2. For guiding the movements of the locking elements 9 and 10 these elements include respective guide grooves 9b and 10b and correspondingly, the locking unit 7 is provided with guiding pins 7b, which in practise may preferably be fastening means for the housing of the locking unit 7.
In the embodiment according to figures 3 and 4 the locking element 9 is replaced with a locking element 11, which is by means of a not-shown locking bar in connection with the vertical frame (not shown) of the door on the opposite side of the door with respect to the front plate 2. In order to actuate the movements of the locking element 11 a guiding member 13 is pivotably supported by a pin 7d in the locking unit 7, the guide groove 13a of which guiding member is in communication with the guide pin 6 and accordingly, the guide groove 13b of which guides the locking element 11 by means of a pin 11 b therein. For guiding the movements of the locking element 11 the pin 11 b gets guidance from the guide groove 7c of the locking unit and in addition, the pin 7e of the locking unit is in cooperation with the guide groove 11d of the locking element. As a consequence of this arrangement, the movement of the force transmission element 3a actuates a movement of the locking element 11 in the opposite direction so that both the bolt 3 and the locking element 11 are simultaneously either in their locked position or in their free position.
Figures 5a - 5e illustrate some alternative ways to arrange the locking elements 9, 10, 11 1 and/or 12. In practise, two locking elements at most are preferably arranged in the locking unit 7 at a time. This is to secure that the unit will not become too thick for insertion into the door and possibly too heavy to use for instance by a key through a cylinder lock. In case one single locking element is sufficient, the extra locking elements may thus be left out from the locking unit. Since the locking unit 7 as such is symmetric with respect to the force transmission element 3a, it may be turned, as required, so that the same locking unit may be used for providing one or the other of the respective versions of figures 5a and 5b or correspondingly, the respective versions of figures 5d and 5e.
As is apparent from the above description, the modification of a conventional lock casing to conform to the assembly according to the invention does not require more than to fasten the locking unit in one way or another to the lock casing and to equip the lock casing with an element movable back and forth in accordance with the movements of the bolt in order to provide force transmission to the locking unit for guiding the locking elements therein. In the embodiments according to the figures the back part of the housing of the lock casing is provided with openings 1 b' for the fasteners of the locking unit and with an opening 1 b" for the force transmission element 3a. Thus, the solution is simple and easily feasible also as retrofitting.
It is not relevant to the invention whether the locking of the bolt 3 is arranged by tumblers 1 adapted in the lock casing, such as in the figures, or for instance by a cylinder lock mechanism, known as such, mounted on the operating axis of the lock casing, from where the force transmission to the bolt is achieved by a follower mechanism and/or by force transmission means connected thereto. Members that actuate this kind of transmission movement may be utilised as such in the solution according to the invention also for providing the displacement movements of the locking elements in the locking unit.
The invention is not limited to the shown embodiments, but several variations are conceivable within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

A multipoint lock assembly for a door, hatch or the like, which assembly comprises a lock casing (1), which is provided with a front plate (2) and at least one bolt (3) movable through the front plate, and at least one locking element (9, 10, 11, 12) for securing the door, hatch or the like to the frame on the opposite side of the lock casing (1) with respect to the front plate (2), characterised in that said locking element (9, 10, 11, 12) is arranged in a separate locking unit (7) to be attached to the lock casing, and that the arrangement includes a force transmission element (3a) movable in accordance with the movements of said bolt (3) and extending through the back wall (1 b) of the lock casing for moving said locking element (9, 10, 11, 12) between a locking position and a free position.
A multipoint lock assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that said force transmission element (3a) is a separate element in force transmission connection with the bolt (3).
A multipoint lock assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the force transmission element (3a) is a part of the body of the bolt movable inside the lock casing (1).
A multipoint lock assembly according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that the force transmission element (3a) is provided with a guiding pin (6), which is arranged in cooperation with a guide groove (9a, 10a) of the locking element (9, 10) for guiding the movements of the locking element (9, 10).
A multipoint lock assembly according to claim 5, characterised in that the guide groove (9a, 10a) is arranged obliquely with respect to the force transmission movements of the force transmission element (3a).
A multipoint lock assembly according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that the locking unit (7) is provided with a guiding member (13) pivotable with the force transmission element (3a), which member is arranged to guide the movements of the locking element (11, 12).
A multipoint lock assembly according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that the locking unit (7) is provided with at least two locking elements (9, 10, 11, 12) movable in different operational directions.
A multipoint lock assembly according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that a locking bar can be connected to each locking element (9, 10, 11, 12) for securing the locking element (9, 10, 11, 12) to the respective frame section, while the bolt (3) of the lock casing (1) is in its locked position.
A multipoint lock assembly according to anyone of the preceding claims, characterised in that the back wall (1 b) of the housing (1 a) of the lock casing (1) is provided with openings (1 b') for fasteners (8) for attaching the locking unit (7) to the lock casing (1).