EP2279315B1

EP2279315B1 - Knob device for opening by pressure action doors and the like

Info

Publication number: EP2279315B1
Application number: EP08763807.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Valentina Lollio; Alberto Manzoni; Andrea Gallo; Tiziana Ciccarella; Valentina Rivieccio; Aldo Perazzo
Original assignee: Serrature Meroni SpA
Current assignee: Serrature Meroni SpA
Priority date: 2008-04-15
Filing date: 2008-04-15
Publication date: 2014-09-17
Anticipated expiration: 2028-04-15
Also published as: EP2279315A1; EP2279315B8; WO2009128100A1

Description

The present invention relates to a knob device for opening by pressure action doors and the like.
Knob devices with pressure control to open doors are known to comprise a knob being rigidly secured to the door, a push button being mounted on the knob and associated with, within the knob, a lever which acts on an operating mechanism of a bolt elastically sliding into a door housing.
By exerting a pressure on the push button, a lever rotation is caused, which moves the above-mentioned mechanism which, in turn, provides for the bolt displacement to open the door.
This type of control turns out to be convenient, since it requires a simple pushing action by the user to open the door, as a valuable alternative to the rotational movement which is performed with the traditional handles or rotating knobs.
Document US 3,869,161 A describes a door lock having a non-rotatable door knob of hollow construction housing a lock-operating mechanism so arranged that the associated latch can be retracted by depressing a spring-loaded push-button mounted on the knob and projecting laterally outside the circumference of the knob.
A need that is felt in the field of these knob devices with pressure control is to reduce the stress exerted in order to control the door opening.
Another need is to have a large surface upon which a pressure can be exerted.
The object of the present invention is to propose a device which is able to meet the above-mentioned needs.
This object is achieved by a knob device with pressure control as defined in claim 1.
In order to better understand the invention, two exemplary non-limiting embodiments thereof will be described herein below, which are illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a knob device for external door side according to the invention;
Fig. 2 shows the knob device in Fig. 1 after it has been mounted, with a component in transparency;
Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a knob device for internal door side according to the invention;
Fig. 4 shows the knob device in Fig. 3 after it has been mounted, with a component in transparency;
Figs. 5, 6, 7 show a bottom perspective view of the assembling sequence of two components of the above-mentioned knob devices;
Figs. 8, 9 show a sequential perspective view of an operating mechanism of the above-mentioned knob devices;
Fig. 10 shows a perspective view of the application of the above-mentioned knob devices to a door with bolt;
Fig. 11 shows a longitudinal section of the above-mentioned application in Fig. 10.

In the Figs. 1, 2 a knob device is illustrated, generally designated with 10A, which is adapted to be applied to a door on the external side of the same, and intended to operate a bolt housed in the same door.
The device 10A comprises an open hollow body 11, and a bottom 12, to which a "U"-shaped frame 13 is secured carrying mechanical components of the device.
A main lever 14 is mounted in the frame 13 which is hinged on two opposite pins 15 in an intermediate position of the lever, only one of which is seen in the Figures, which form a lever hinging axis. Such main lever 14 acts upon a mechanism, which is also fastened to the frame 13, for the activation of the door bolt. Such mechanism will be described herein below.
A securing lock 16 is also mounted in the frame 13, which is adapted to rotatably operate a rod 17 extending from the bottom 12.
An aligning hollow pin 18 also extends from the bottom 12, which is integral to the same bottom.
An arched pushing under-key 19A is hinged to the hollow body 11 which has two downwardly folded tongues 20A, only one of which is visible in the Figures, each being provided with a through hole 21A.
Two screw pins 22 are provided to secure the hollow body 11 to the frame 13, and to hinge the under-key 19A to the body 11, having threaded ends, which fit into two opposite through holes 23 of the hollow body 11, then fit into the holes 21A of the under- key 19A tongues 20A, and finally screw into two opposite threaded holes 24 of the frame 13, thus locating an under-key 19A hinging axis.
An arched key 25 extending along the entire hollow body 11 upper part is snap-coupled to the under-key 19A as will be described below.
In the Figs. 3, 4 a second knob device is illustrated, generally indicated with 10B, which is adapted to be applied to the above-mentioned door on the inner side of the same, coupling with the previous knob device 10A, and intended to also operate the bolt of the same door.
The knob device 10B has a lot of components which are identical to those of the knob device 10A; such device 10B identical components are indicated with the same reference numbers which have been used for the device 10A.
However, there are differences between the two knob devices.
The device 10B has, unlike the device 10A lock 16, a locking mechanism 26 via a push button 27, which is adapted to be connected by means of a kinematic motion of a known type to same lock 16 of the device 10A through the rod 17.
Furthermore, the device 10B is provided with, instead of the hollow pin 18 of device 10A, a solid pin 28 which is adapted to be male-female coupled precisely to the hollow pin 18.
The device 10B under-key, which is indicated with 19B, also has some small differences relative to the device 10A under-key 19A.
In the Figs. 3, 4, two long screws 29 are also illustrated, which pass through special holes of the device 10B bottom 12 in order to secure the two knobs relative to each other on the door.
In the Figs. 5, 6, 7, the under-key 19A and arched key 25 inner structure, and the manner in which such key 25 is snap-mounted to the under-key 19A is shown in detail.
The under-key 19A has a projecting guide 30A along the longitudinal axis, and two opposite shelves 31A on the sides thereof. Furthermore, two opposite elastic hooks 32A extend from the projecting guide 30A sides. An elastic detent 33A is provided on the opposite part relative to the guide 30A along the longitudinal axis.
Correspondently, the key 25 has two opposite longitudinal tongues 34, two opposite ribbed shelves 35, two opposite angular projections 36, and a transversal projection 37 in the inner part thereof.
As shown in sequence in the Figs. 5, 6, 7, the key 25 is caused to slide on the under-key 19A and, from a fixed point on during such travel, the key 25 tongues 34 slide on the under- key 19A guide 30A, and the key 25 shelves 35 slide on the under- key 19A shelves 31A; at the end of the travel, the under- key 19A hooks 32A elastically snap-couple the angular key 25 projections 36, and the under-key 19A detent 33A elastically snap-abuts against the key 25 projection 37.
The under-key 19A is also provided, at the opposite part relative to the guide 30A, with two projecting teeth 38A which, as shown in the Figs. 1, 2, abut in two corresponding recesses 39 which are obtained in the hollow body 11.
The knob device 10B under-key 19B has the same members which have noted above for the knob device 10A under-key 19A, which are indicated with the same numbers followed by the letter B. The elastic detent which was present in the under-key 19A is omitted in the under-key 19B. The under- key 19B hooks 32B have two sloped planes 40B at the ends thereof, which are absent in the under-key 19A.
In the Figs. 8, 9, the mechanism is shown upon which the main lever 14 acts. Such mechanism comprises two overlapped arms 40 which are hinged on a pin 41, so as to have a divaricating and overlapping movement. Each arm 40 has, essentially at the pin 41, a contact side appendix 42, and a coupling vertical appendix 43. Respective lever 14 contact portions 44 act upon the contact appendixes 42. A spring 45 is anchored to the coupling appendixes 43.
The assembling of the knob devices 10A and 10B on the door is illustrated in Fig. 10. Such door is indicated with 100, and the bolt is housed therein, which is indicated with 101 and which slides in the door and is kept in a projecting position from the door, opposing an elastic force. How it can be understood, the knob devices are secured one to the other by means of screws 29, mounted on the device 10B, which act as to be screwed in the device 10A special threaded holes. Aligning during the assembling of the devices 10A and 10B is achieved by the male-female coupling between device 10A hollow pin 18 and device 10B solid pin 28. The lock 16 couples to the locking mechanism 26 (Fig. 3) through the rod 17. Finally, each knob device arms 40 fit in a bolt 101 special seat 102; the arms 40 of the two devices are offset in the height thereof, so that each is able to be fitted into such bolt 101 seat 102.
The functioning of the knob devices 10A and 10B is as follows, with particular reference to Fig. 11.
By compressively operating on the key 25, for example, of the knob device 10A, the under-key 19A rotation around the pins 22 thereof (which are visible in the Figs. 1, 2) is obtained. In turn, the under-key 19A rotation determines the lever 14 rotation around the pins 15 thereof, by means of the contact between under-key 19 lower projecting ribs 45 and a lever 14 upper portion 46. The lever 14 acts on the arms 40 appendixes 42 with the contact portions 44 thereof, thus determining the same arms divarication, and hence the bolt 101 displacement inside the door in order to open the same under the effect of one of the two arms 40 on a seat 102 wall. In the event that the bolt 101 were mounted on the door 101 other side, the other of the two arms 40 would act on the seat 102 opposite wall.
When the knob device 10A push button 25 is released, the elastic return force acting on the bolt 101, and the spring 45 elastic return force acting on the arms 40 cause the return of arms 40, lever 14, under-key 19A, and key 25 to the initial position.
The same cinematic movements occur by acting upon the knob device 10B push button 25.
By rotationally operating on the knob device 10A lock 16, the rod 17 rotation is caused, which rod travels to such a position as to interfere with one of the two contact appendixes 42, so as to prevent the arms 40 from opening. The same effect is achieved when the push button 27 of the knob device 10B locking mechanism 26 is pushed. When the lock 16 is in the locking position, also the push button 27 is locked.
Due to the fact of having also the under-key 19A or 19B beside the main lever 14, which under-key constitutes a further lever arm, the stress exerted to control the door opening is reduced. It shall be noted that the under-key has a lever arm extending essentially on the entire knob device length.
Furthermore, the key 25, which covers the entire knob device upper part, allows having a large surface where pressure can be exerted.
In the knob device 10A, which is mounted on the door outer part, the coupling detent 33A presence, and the absence of the sloped planes on the hooks 32A does not allow easily unfastening the under-key 19A from the key 25, so as to avoid illegal opening operations from the door external side when it is closed, trying to access the knob device inner cinematic motions. On the other hand, in the knob device 10B, which is mounted on the door internal side, the presence of the sloped planes 40B on the hooks 32B, and the absence of the coupling detent allow easily unfastening the under-key 19B from the key 25, with a simple clamping tool acting upon the sloped planes in order to move the hooks away from the angular projections 36 and to withdraw the key 25; this occurs because the illegal burglary problem does not exist while being at the door internal side; furthermore, this allows accessing the screw heads 29 to disassemble the two knob devices from the door.
The characteristic of providing an under-key and a key which is removably fastened to the under-key allows an easy interchangeability of the key.
It will be appreciated that variations and/or additions to what has been described and illustrated above can be provided.
In particular, the configuration of the several components may vary as a function of the needs.
The knob devices that have been described and illustrated herein can be applied to any type of lock.

Claims

A knob device (10A, 10B) for opening by pressure action doors and the like, comprising a knob (11) which is adapted to be rigidly secured to the door (100), a pressure control member being mounted on the knob and associated with, within the knob, a main lever (14) operating on a mechanism (40-45) which is adapted to actuate a bolt (101) elastically sliding into a housing, of the door, characterised in that said control member comprises a levering member acting upon said main lever (14) in order to operate said mechanism (40-45), wherein
said levering member comprises an under-key (19at 19B) on which a key (25) acts, which is removably fastened to the under-key (19A; 19B).
The knob device according to claim 1, wherein said levering member extends along the entire knob (11) upper surface.
The knob device according to claim 1, wherein said key (25) covers the knob (11) upper part.
The knob device according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the key (25) is fastened to the under-key (19A; 19B) by snap-coupling.
The knob device according to claim 4, wherein said snap-coupling is achieved through elastic hooks (32B) which are accessible from the outside, and which are provided with means (40B) to bring said hooks (32B) to an uncoupling position.
The knob device according to any preceding claim, wherein said levering member and said main lever (14) are hinged along different hinging axes.
The knob device according to claim 6, wherein said levering member has a lever arm essentially extending on the entire hollow knob length.
The knob device according to any preceding claim, wherein the knob comprises a hollow body (11) which is opened on top in order to receive said levering member, and a bottom (12) which is fastened to the hollow body (11) and to which a frame (13) is secured which carries the mechanism (40-45) adapted to actuate the door (100) bolt (101).
The knob device according to any preceding claim, wherein controllable means (16; 26) for the main lever (14) locking are provided.