EP1835078B1 - Road equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to road equipment comprising a frame, a buffer or cover and a device for locking and unlocking with a key of a buffer or cover on a frame.

It applies in particular but in a non-limiting manner to a roadway.

This device is intended to improve the selective locking device that is the subject of the patent application. French FR-A 2,780,996 in the name of the plaintiff.

This known closure device comprises a latch integral with the lid or pad and a key with an operating arm whose one end carries a socket that can be inserted into an opening of the lid to access the latch which comprises a rotor rotatably mounted in the lid and carrying at one of its ends a bolt cooperating with a striker of the frame and the other end of which can be coupled to the socket of the key to allow the bolt to pivot about the longitudinal axis of the rotor between a locking position at which the bolt is held prisoner of the striker and the key can freely leave the opening of the cover and an unlocking position for which the bolt is released from the striker and the key is held captive in the opening of the cover.

Thus, when the lid is unlocked from the frame by the key and removed from it, the key normally remains secured to the lid. However, there may be the situation that the operator having removed the frame cover wishes to use the key integral with this cover to unlock another identical cover located nearby. For this purpose, it operates in rotation the key to its position allowing it to be removed from the opening of the lid, which results in the pivoting of the bolt relative to the cover at its locking position. However, when the operator applies the cover again to the frame to close the opening defined by the latter, the fact that the bolt is in its locking position prevents the cover from entering the frame. The operator can then manually enter the bolt to rotate it to its unlocking position allowing the introduction and application of the cover in its support frame, but the operator can then forget to use the key to lock the bolt to the keeper of the frame so that the cover can remain in its frame without being locked to it. Further, because the latch is in its unlocked position at which the latch is disengaged from the latch of the frame, the socket of the key can no longer be brought into engagement with the corresponding end of the latch rotor which can lead an operator in front of the latch. later access the look of floor to think that the lock does not function normally.

The present invention aims to eliminate the above disadvantages of the known device.

For this purpose, the invention proposes road equipment according to claim 1.

The end of the torsion spring opposite to that abutting under the buffer is supported on a crest integral transversely of the rotor to resiliently bias the free end of the support leg resting under the buffer so as to maintain the latch at its position. locking.

The opening gives access to a cavity of the pad in which the end of the key can be introduced to engage with the end of the rotor located in this cavity which is delimited by a first inner wall of the pad perpendicular to the upper wall. of the latter and the rotor comprises two parts, a first part comprising the end being engageable with the end of the key and rotatably mounted in a bore of the first wall of the buffer and a second portion carrying the locking bolt. its end and rotatably mounted in a bore formed in a second inner wall of the buffer parallel to the first wall, the rotor extending parallel to the upper wall of the buffer therein.

The torsion spring and the stand are disposed between the first and second parallel rotor support walls.

Preferably, the rotor comprises a generally cylindrical axis constituting the portion rotatably mounted through the first wall and a cylindrical bolt-tip body constituting the other part of the rotor rotatably mounted through the second wall, the cylindrical axis being engaged coaxially in a bore of the tip body and secured in rotation to this body by two cooperating flats respectively of the axis and the piercing of the tip body .

The cylindrical axis and the nozzle body of the rotor are secured in translation to one another by a screw passing through the axis and the tip body and also to fix the stand to the tip body.

The torsion spring is disposed between the tip body and a washer resting on the outer face of the first wall and the axis of the rotor comprises a head constituting the end with which the end of the key can engage. said head being supported on the inner face of the first wall by means of a washer.

The opening has an L-shape, one branch parallel to the first wall, allowing the arm of the key to be rotated to move from any one of its locking and unlocking positions to the other. latch respectively under the return torque and against the return torque exerted by the torsion spring when the end of the arm is engaged with the corresponding end of the rotor, and prohibits a translation of the arm perpendicularly to this wall when located in this branch with the end of the key arm engaged with the corresponding end of the rotor.

The buffer cavity has an inclined wall guiding the end of the key arm into the cavity at the bottom thereof to then allow this arm to be moved in translation to a position in engagement with the end. corresponding rotor.

The end of the arm of the key is a cylindrical sleeve whose axis is perpendicular to the axis of the arm and which is guided in the cavity at the bottom thereof by a rectilinear channel made in the inclined wall.

Advantageously, the bolt is in the form of a cylinder sector.

The stand has its free end curved at right angles bearing under the buffer under the action of the restoring torque exerted by the torsion spring.

The ends of the torsion spring are bent at right angles in parallel and opposite directions.

A chain is attached to the end of the stand to allow pivoting of the lock to its unlocking position from below the pad.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective éclatée d'une partie d'un tampon d'obturation d'un regard pourvue du dispositif de verrouillage et de déverrouillage conforme à l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective de dessous suivant la flèche II de la figure 1 et représentant le dispositif de l'invention en position permettant le verrouillage du tampon à un cadre de support ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en perspective semblable à celle de la figure 2 et représentant le dispositif de l'invention en position déverrouillée du tampon ;
• la figure 4 est une vue en coupe suivant la ligne IV-IV de la figure 2 et représentant les différents éléments du dispositif de l'invention en position de verrouillage du tampon avec la clé introduite dans le fond d'une cavité associée à l'ouverture du tampon ;
• la figure 5 est une vue en coupe suivant la ligne V-V de la figure 4 ;
• la figure 6 est une vue en coupe suivant la ligne VI-VI de la figure 3 et montrant la douille de la clé en prise avec le rotor d'entraînement du pêne du verrou occupant sa position déverrouillée ; et
• la figure 7 est une vue en coupe suivant la ligne VII-VII de la figure 6.

The invention will be better understood, and other objects, characteristics, details and advantages thereof will appear more clearly in the explanatory description which will follow with reference to the accompanying drawings given solely by way of example illustrating an embodiment. of the invention and in which:

• the figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a shutter plug of a manhole provided with the locking and unlocking device according to the invention;
• the figure 2 is a perspective view from below following arrow II of the figure 1 and representing the device of the invention in position for locking the buffer to a support frame;
• the figure 3 is a perspective view similar to that of the figure 2 and representing the device of the invention in the unlocked position of the buffer;
• the figure 4 is a sectional view along line IV-IV of the figure 2 and representing the various elements of the device of the invention in the buffer locking position with the key inserted into the bottom of a cavity associated with the opening of the buffer;
• the figure 5 is a sectional view along line VV of the figure 4 ;
• the figure 6 is a sectional view along the line VI-VI of the figure 3 and showing the socket of the key engaged with the latch bolt drive rotor in its unlocked position; and
• the figure 7 is a sectional view along line VII-VII of the figure 6 .

The locking and unlocking device of the invention which will be described below is particularly intended to equip a buffer or cover 1 for closing a frame or frame 2 defining the opening including a manhole.

The locking and unlocking device can be actuated by a key 3 as will be seen later.

The buffer 1 has its substantially flat upper wall 1a having an opening 4 opening on the one hand towards the outside of the buffer 1 and on the other hand in an internal cavity 5 of the buffer 1 near the bottom of which is accessible a portion of a lock 6 of the buffer 1.

The key 3 comprises an operating arm 7, one end of which is provided with a bushing 8 whose longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the flat-shaped arm 7 of rectangular cross-section. The sleeve 8 has an internal cavity 8a of square cross section, but it is understood that this footprint may have a cross section of different shape, for example hexagonal.

The opening 4 for access to the key 3 is partially closed by a plate 9 of the buffer 1 which can be integral with the latter and conferring on the opening 4 an L-shape. Thus, the plate 9, of square shape or rectangular, closes one of the corners of the rectangular opening 4 of the buffer 1 so that the remaining portion and opening of this opening in the upper wall 1a of the buffer 1 has substantially the shape of the L allowing the introduction and operation of the key 3.

The cavity 5 of the buffer 1 located below the plate 9 is delimited by an inner wall 10 integral with the upper wall 1a of the buffer 1 perpendicular thereto opposite the open portion of the cavity 5 with the opening 4 and which is perpendicular to an inclined wall 11 of the cavity 5 guiding the end portion of the key 3 in the cavity 5 to the bottom thereof. A rectilinear groove or channel 12 is formed in the inclined wall 11 in line with one of the branches 4a of the opening 4 extending parallel to the wall 10, the groove 12 being located under the branch 4a. Thus, by introducing the end portion of the key 3 into the opening, the bushing 8 engages in the channel 12 and the flat end portion of the arm 3 of the key bears on the inclined wall 11 for ensure guided sliding of the end portion of the arm 3 of the sleeve 8 to the bottom of the cavity 5.

The lock 6 of the buffer 1 comprises a rotor 13 having at one end a bolt 14 and which is rotatably mounted about its longitudinal axis under the buffer 1 parallel to the upper wall 1a thereof.

The rotor 13 comprises two mutually integral parts comprising a generally cylindrical axis 15 rotatably mounted in a bore 16 of the wall 10 and a generally cylindrical tip body 17 rotatably mounted in a bore 18 formed through a second wall 19 integral with the upper wall 1a of the buffer 1 and, consequently, parallel to the wall 10, the tip body 17 carrying the bolt 14 projecting from the wall 19 opposite the wall 10 The bolt 14 has a general shape in hollow cylinder sector.

The tip body 17 is provided with a cylindrical portion of smaller diameter 20 located between the two walls 10 and 19 and the cylindrical axis 15 of the rotor 13 is housed in a bore 21 of the cylindrical portion 20 being connected to rotation to the latter by two flats cooperating 22, 23 respectively of the axis 15 and the bore 21 of the portion 20. In addition, the axis 15 is translationally connected in the portion 20 of the tip body 17 by a screw 24 through holes 20a and 15a. of the portion 20 and the axis 15 perpendicular to their respective coaxial longitudinal axes.

The portion 20 of the tip body 17 comprises an outer transverse notch flat bottom 25 extending in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical portion 20 and on which is fixed in abutment one end of a bar 26 forming crutch extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the portion 20. Preferably, the stand 26 is fixed to the flat bottom of the notch 25 by the screw 24 whose threaded end is anchored in a threaded hole 26a formed in the end of the stand 26. Thus, the stand 26 is integral in rotation with the portion 20 and, therefore, the rotor 13. This stand has its end 26b opposite to the cylindrical portion 20 curved at right angles so that this end free can bear on the inner face of the upper wall 1a of the buffer 1 as will be seen later.

A chain 27 is fixed by one of its ends to the curved end 26b of the stand 26. The cylindrical axis 15 of the rotor 13 has its free end 28 opposite to the bolt 14 projecting into the cavity 5 near the bottom thereof and is in the form of a square head that can be engaged with the conjugate internal cavity 8a of the sleeve 8. The head 28 of the axis 15 is supported on the inner face of the wall 10 through a washer 29.

A helical torsion spring 30 is mounted concentrically on the portion of the axis 15 of the rotor 13 located between the cylindrical portion 20 of the tip body 17 and a washer 31 resting on the outer face of the wall 10. The assembly constituted by the head 28, the washers 29, 31 and the spring 30 makes it possible to maintain axially with virtually no play the rotor 13 relative to the walls 10, 19. The torsion spring 30 has one of its right angled ends 30a resting on the dorsal face of the stand 26 and its opposite end also angled at an angle right 30b is supported on the inner face of the upper wall 1a of the buffer 1, the ends 30a, 30b being parallel and in opposite directions to one another. In this way, the torsion spring is prestressed so as to exert a pair of forces tending to resiliently and constantly recall the stand 26 bearing, by its free end 26b, on the inner face of the upper wall 1a of the buffer 1.

Thus, the assembly consisting of the cylindrical portion 20 of the tip body 17, the stand 26, the torsion spring 30 and the washer 31 is located between the two walls 10 and 19 of the buffer 1. The bolt 14 is adapted to cooperate with a spar portion 32 projecting inside the frame 2 to be held prisoner therein in the locking position of the pad 1 to the frame 2. The spar portion 32 has an end 32a defining a space relative to a rib 1b of the buffer 1 bearing on a seat abutment 2a of the frame 2, through which space can pivot the arcuate portion of the bolt 14 when unlocking the buffer 1 of the frame 2. The seat abutment 2a is located in below the stringer forming striker 32.

The operation of the equipment of the invention is as follows.

It is first considered that the buffer 1 is locked in the frame 2 by the latch 6, the rotor 13 is held in the locked position by the spring 30 with the stand 26 resting under the buffer 1 and the bolt 14 prisoner under the striker 32 as shown in figures 2 , 4 and 5 .

The end portion of the key 3 is introduced into the cavity 5 through the opening 4 and this introduction can only be made for a single direction of the visible key in figure 1 , that is to say that the sleeve 8 slides in the guide channel 12 and the flat end portion of the arm 3 slides on the inclined wall 11 until the bushing 8 arrives practically at the bottom of the cavity 5. At this position, the key 3 is locked by its arm 7 between the edge of the L-shaped branch 4b of the opening 4 perpendicular to the wall 10 and the edge facing the plate 9 9a.

Under these conditions, the key 3 can be actuated only by sliding translation of the sleeve 8 at the bottom of the cavity 5 to the head 28 of the rotor 13 so as to come into direct contact therewith. The translational movement is illustrated by the figure 4 to the figure 6 .

Once the sleeve 8 engages the head 28 of the rotor 13, the arm 7 of the key 3 is in alignment with the branch 4a of the opening 4 parallel to the wall 10 so that the key 3 can be rotatably operated to rotate the assembly consisting of the axis 15, the cylindrical portion 20, the stand 26, the tip body 17 and, therefore, the bolt 14, against the return force exerted by the torsion spring 30 so as to allow the bolt 14 to disengage from the striker 32 through the space between keeper and rib 1b. The figures 3 , 6 and 7 represent the position of the bolt 14 released from the striker 32.

Therefore, the buffer 1 can be lifted by the operator with the key 3 and completely disengaged from the frame 2.

When the operator places the pad 1 on the ground near the frame 2, the torsion spring 30 automatically returns the rotor 13 of the lock 6 to its locking position and the key 3 is also automatically recalled by the torsion spring 30 to its position at which the arm 7 is resting on the edge of the opening 4 located in the corner of the two branches of the L-shape of this opening. At this position of the key 3, it can then be removed from the buffer 1 by moving it in translation perpendicular to the wall 10 in the opposite direction to the latter to the position shown in FIG. figure 1 .

The buffer 1 can be returned to the closed position on the frame 2 with the key 3 inserted into the cavity 5 and rotated to rotate the rotor 13 to its unlocked position and thus the bolt 14 which will occupy its position allowing it to introduce it into the space between striker 32 and rib 1b. Then, the operator releases the handle 3 so that the torsion spring 30 automatically returns the bolt 14 to its captive position under the striker 32.

The key 3 can then be removed from the buffer 1 by translation perpendicular to the wall 10 at the position of the figure 1 then sliding of the key 3 out of the opening 4 of this buffer.

The key 3 must therefore perform in the cavity 5 a translational and rotational movement or vice versa to respectively unlock or lock the buffer on its frame and that passing from one of the branches of L to the other that form l opening 4 with its associated plate 9.

In the situation where the operator would have removed the key 3 from the buffer 1 after removing the buffer from its frame to use this key to open one or more other buffers of their respective frames, the first buffer no longer comprising this key can not be put back in place within its framework. Indeed, because the torsion spring 30 automatically and constantly remembers the latch 6 at its locking position, the bolt 14 can not be introduced into the space between striker 32 and rib 1b and will bear on the corresponding part Furthermore, even if the operator had to maneuver the bolt 14 to rotate it against the force of return of the torsion spring 30 to a position corresponding to that of insertion into this space of the striker 32, this spring will recall the latch 30 to its locking position even before the bolt 14 can be introduced into the space. In other words, the torsion spring 30 makes it impossible to insert the bolt 14 into the space between the stringer 32 and the rib 1b of the buffer 1. To allow this introduction, the operator must use the key 3 which is introduced into the cavity 5 and brought into engagement with the head 28 of the rotor 13 to rotate the latter against the restoring force of the torsion spring 30 and to allow the insertion of the bolt 14 into the space in position and, once the buffer bears on the frame 2, the operator releases the key 3 so that the torsion spring 30 automatically returns the bolt 14 to its position of imprisonment under the striker 32.

The presence of the chain 27 allows a person inside the chamber of view to exert a tensile force on the stand 26 so that it rotates the rotor 13 and the bolt 14 to their position. unlocking buffer 1 from the frame 2.

The stand 26, by its curved free end 26b bearing under the buffer 1 by the torsion spring 30, somehow indexes the bolt 14 to its locking position under the striker 32.

Claims (14)

1. A piece of road equipment comprising a frame (2), a lid or cover (1) and a device for locking and unlocking, using a key (3), of the lid (1) on the frame (2), comprising a bolt (6) integral with the lid (1) which has an opening (4) for access to the bolt (6) for the key (3) including an arm (7) whereof one end (8) makes it possible to maneuver the bolt (6) when the key (3) is introduced into the opening (4) of the lid (1) from a locking position in which a deadbolt (14) of the bolt (6) is held captive by a strike (32) of the frame (2) to an unlocking position in which the deadbolt (14) is released from the strike (32), the bolt (6) comprising a rotor (13) rotatingly mounted in the lid (1), accessible at one of its ends by the opening (4) and bringing the deadbolt (14) to its opposite end so as to allow the pivoting of the deadbolt (14) around the longitudinal axis of the rotor (13) under the action of the key (3) between its captive and released positions relative to the strike (32), characterized in that the bolt (6) comprises a helical torsion spring (30) mounted concentrically on the rotor (13) of the bolt (6) while having one of its ends bearing under the lid (1) and its opposite end integral with the rotor (13) so as to exert, on the rotor (13), a pair of return forces of the bolt (6) to its locking position to prevent the introduction of the deadbolt (14) into the strike (32) and the replacement of the lid (1) on the frame (2) when the lid (1) has previously been removed from the frame (2) and in that the key (3), when engaged by its end (8) with the corresponding end (28) of the rotor (13), allows the rotation of the bolt (6) to its unlocking position against the return torque of the torsion spring (30) and the introduction of the deadbolt (14) into the strike (32).
2. The piece of equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that the end of the torsion spring (30) opposite that bearing under the lid (1) bears on a lever handle (26) transversely integral with the rotor (13) to elastically urge the free end (26a) of the lever handle (26) bearing under the lid (1) so as to maintain the bolt (6) in its locking position.
3. The piece of equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the opening (4) provides access to a cavity (5) of the lid (1) wherein the end (8) of the key (3) can be introduced in order to engage with the end (28) of the rotor (13) situated in said cavity, which is defined by a first inner wall (10) of the lid (1) perpendicular to the upper wall (1a) thereof, in that the rotor (13) comprises two parts, a first part (15) including the end (28) able to engage with the end (8) of the key (3) and rotatingly mounted in a perforation (16) of the first wall (10) of the lid (1), and a second part (17, 20) supporting the deadbolt at its end and mounted rotatingly in a perforation (18) formed in a second inner wall (19) of the lid (1) parallel to the first wall (10), the rotor (13) extending parallel to the upper wall (1a) of the lid (1) under it.
4. The piece of equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that the torsion spring (30) and the lever handle (26) are arranged between the first and second parallel support walls (10, 19) of the rotor (13).
5. The piece of equipment according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the rotor (13) comprises a generally cylindrical axis (15) constituting the part rotatingly mounted through the first wall (10) and a cylindrical coupling body (17) with deadbolt (14) constituting the other part of the rotor (13) mounted rotatingly through the second wall (19), the cylindrical axis (15) being engaged coaxially in a perforation (21) of the coupling body (17) and made integral in rotation with said body by two cooperating flat portions (22, 23) of the axis (15) and the perforation (21) of the coupling body (17), respectively.
6. The piece of equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that the cylindrical axis (15) and the coupling body (17) of the rotor (13) are made integral in translation with each other by a screw (24) passing through the axis (15) and the coupling body (17) and also making it possible to fasten the lever handle (26) to the coupling body (17).
7. The piece of equipment according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the torsion spring (30) is arranged between the coupling body (17) and a washer (31) bearing on the outer face of the first wall (10), and the axis (15) of the rotor (13) includes a head (28) constituting the end with which the end (8) of the key (3) can engage, said head (28) bearing on the inner face of the first wall (10) via a washer (29).
8. The piece of equipment according to one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the opening (4) is L-shaped whereof one branch, parallel to the first wall (10), allows the arm (7) of the key (3) to be maneuvered in rotation to go from any one of its locking and unlocking positions of the bolt (6) to the other, respectively, under the return torque and against the return torque exerted by the torsion spring (30) once the end (8) of the arm (7) is engaged with the corresponding end (28) of the rotor (13), and prohibits a translation of the arm (7) perpendicular to said wall when it is situated in said branch with the end (8) of the arm (7) of the key (3) engaged with the corresponding end (28) of the rotor (13).
9. The piece of equipment according to one of claims 3 to 8, characterized in that the cavity (5) has an inclined wall (11) ensuring the guiding of the end (8) of the arm (7) of the key (3) in the cavity (5) at the bottom thereof to subsequently allow said arm to be moved in translation to a position engaged with the corresponding end (28) of the rotor (13).
10. The piece of equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that the end (8) of the arm (7) of the key (3) is a cylindrical bush whereof the axis is perpendicular to the axis of the arm (7) and which is guided in the cavity (5) at the bottom thereof by a rectilinear groove (12) formed in the inclined wall (11).
11. The piece of equipment according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the deadbolt (14) is in the form of a cylinder section.
12. The piece of equipment according to one of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that the free end (26b) of the lever handle (26) is bent at a right angle bearing under the lid (1) under the action of the return torque exerted by the torsion spring (30).
13. The piece of equipment according to one of claims 2 to 12, characterized in that the ends (30a, 30b) of the torsion spring (30) are curved at a right angle in parallel and opposite directions.
14. The piece of equipment according to one of claims 2 to 13, characterized in that a chain (27) is fastened to the end (26b) of the lever handle (26) to allow the pivoting of the bolt (6) to its unlocking position below the lid (1).

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