EP2431555B1 - Locking device for outer access door - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an outer hatch lock used in particular in the railway field.

This type of bolt equips, in particular, the outer hatches of wagons or railway cars. Also, the hatches are robust and reliable. Furthermore, they are embedded in the wall of the cars for obvious reasons of air flow and they must be easily operable without risk to the operator.

These door latches comprise a longitudinal housing of parallelepipedal general shape and a longitudinal bolt slidably mounted inside the housing. The bolt is formed of a longitudinal rod of circular section. The housing has an exit end through which the bolt protrudes. In addition, the lock has a handle lever that is pivotally mounted on the housing near the outlet end thereof. The lever is connected to the longitudinal bolt by means of two lateral rods mounted hinged to each other on the lever and on the bolt to allow to drive in translation the bolt when the lever is pivoted. In the closed position, the lever is folded against the housing and the bolt extends longitudinally outside the housing and inside a striker of a frame. The lever is held in this closed position by means of a locking member which is pivotally mounted on the lever and which has a hook adapted to engage a stop element of the housing and the opposite a push button that comes flush with the surface of the lever to be able to be depressed. The locking member is equipped with a return spring for holding the push button in its position flush with the lever and thus the hook engaged in the stop element. Also, the lever is provided with a pivot spring for driving the lever pivotally to a direction substantially perpendicular to the housing, when the push button is depressed, while the longitudinal bolt retracts inwardly of the housing. Of course, when the push button is depressed and the hook releases the stop element, the handle is spontaneously driven in pivoting under the impulse of its pivot spring without being possible to perfectly control its pivoting speed. Also, the bolt releases the rack strike instantly and the hatch becomes free. It is then difficult to control his movement. Moreover, when the locking member is accidentally actuated, the handle is automatically pivoted.

We can refer to the document FR 2,646,683 which discloses such a type of lock.

Also, a problem that arises and that aims to solve the present invention is to provide a hatch lock that allows better control of the opening of the hatch when the lock is actuated.

For this purpose, the present invention provides a hatch lock comprising a longitudinal housing and a longitudinal bolt slidably mounted within said housing, said housing having an exit end and said bolt being adapted to protrude from said housing through said output end, said latch further comprising a handle pivotally mounted on said housing in the vicinity of said outlet end, said handle being connected to said bolt to be pivotable between a position folded against said housing in which said bolt extends outside said housing and a position spaced from said housing wherein said latch is retracted into said housing, said handle including a controllable latch member for locking said handle in said folded position. According to the invention, the hatch lock further comprises a stop device for holding said handle in an intermediate position between said position folded against said housing and said position spaced from said housing after said handle has been unlocked. The stop device also comprises a flexible member integral with said casing, while said longitudinal bolt has a notch adapted to receive said flexible member, for holding said bolt between the extended position outside said casing and the retracted position towards the inside of said casing housing.

Thus, a feature of the invention lies in the implementation of the stop device which keeps the handle in an intermediate position, in which the bolt remains engaged in the striker of the frame and from which, the handle can then be seized with one hand to control its pivoting while the movement of the hatch can be controlled with the other hand. In addition, when the locking member is accidentally actuated, the stop device keeps the handle in its intermediate position and therefore the bolt always engaged in the latch of the frame. The hatch remains locked. Also, when the bolt is driven in translation and that the notch is opposite the flexible member, the latter relaxes inside the notch. In this way, the longitudinal bolt is locked in translation. This blockage is obviously partial, and since it is exerted on the handle an additional force in addition to that of the return spring, the bolt is driven in translation and the notch escapes the range of the flexible member .

Advantageously, said stop device makes it possible to keep said handle inclined at an angle less than 20 ° with respect to said housing, in said intermediate position. Preferably, the handle is inclined at an angle of 12 ° relative to the longitudinal axis of the housing, which allows the handle to be sufficiently spaced from the housing to be grasped without the bolt has been sufficiently retracted to get rid of the rack strike. In addition, said bolt is preferably cylindrical symmetry of revolution, and it may have a pointed free end to facilitate its introduction into the keeper.

According to a particularly advantageous feature of the invention, said stop device is intended to hold said longitudinal bolt in a fixed position relative to said housing, between the extended position outside said housing and the inwardly retracted position of said housing. maintaining said handle in said intermediate position. In this way, the direct control of the movements of the bolt is ensured and thus, its engagement in the waste of the frame. Preferably, said stop device comprises an axial guiding member mounted inside said casing, said axial guiding member having a translational guiding tunnel for receiving said sliding longitudinal bolt. The guide tunnel is preferably of cylindrical symmetry of revolution, just like the longitudinal bolt so as to be able to perfectly guide the latter in translation.

Preferably, said guide member has an orifice opening into said guide tunnel, and said guide member comprises an indexing ball provided with a return spring housed inside said orifice for forming said flexible member. Thus, the bolt has a concave notch while the indexing ball is held in abutment against the bolt inside the tunnel via the return spring. Thus, as soon as the concave notch of the bolt comes to extend opposite the indexing ball, the latter is partially driven therein, and blocks in translation the bolt inside the guide member.

In addition, the controllable locking member advantageously comprises a push button which comes flush with the handle. When actuated, it pivots inwardly of the housing and releases the handle which then pivots to its intermediate position. In addition, said handle is preferably connected to said longitudinal bolt by two rods pivotally mounted on said handle and said bolt. As will be explained below in more detail, the rods form with the handle a toggle to obtain differential movement amplitudes between the handle and the bolt.

• la Figure 1 est une vue schématique en perspective d'un verrou de trappe dans une première position de fonctionnement ;
• la Figure 2 est une vue schématique en perspective du verrou de trappe illustrée sur la Figure 1 dans une seconde position de fonctionnement ;
• la Figure 3 est une vue schématique en perspective éclatée du verrou de trappe illustré sur les Figures 1 et 2 ; et,
• la Figure 4 est une vue schématique en perspective du verrou de trappe illustré sur les Figures 1 et 2 dans une position intermédiaire de fonctionnement.

Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge on reading the following description of a particular embodiment of the invention, given by way of indication but not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• the Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a hatch lock in a first operating position;
• the Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the hatch lock illustrated on the Figure 1 in a second operating position;
• the Figure 3 is a diagrammatic perspective exploded view of the hatch lock illustrated on the Figures 1 and 2 ; and,
• the Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of the hatch lock illustrated on the Figures 1 and 2 in an intermediate operating position.

The Figure 1 illustrates a hatch lock 10 according to the invention in a locking position. It comprises a longitudinal housing 12 here transparent for the purposes of the explanation; and a longitudinal latch 14 which extends inside and outside the housing 12. These elements are preferably metal and for example steel. The hatch lock 10 further comprises a handle 16. Before describing in more detail the position of the various elements which constitute the hatch lock 10, reference will be made to the Figure 3 showing precisely these different elements in exploded perspective.

It thus finds the housing 12 always in transparency, the bolt 14 and the handle 16. The housing 12 is U-shaped and has two large wings facing 18, 20 connected by a large bottom 22. In addition, it s' extends between a pointed rear end 24 and a front outlet end 26. The handle 16 is also U-shaped and has two small flanges 28, 30 connected to each other by a small bottom 32. It has a free end 34 and opposite a connecting end 36. The connecting end 36 has, in the extension of the two small wings facing each other 28, 30, and in a direction inclined relative to the small bottom 32, two facing arms 38, 40 forming a screed. The two small wings 28, 30 each have at the connecting end 36, near the small bottom 32, a bore 42, 44; the two bores 42, 44 facing one another to receive a pivot shaft not shown here, which pivot shaft is intended to engage in two opposite orifices 43, 45 formed through the large wings in 18, 20 of the housing 12, in the vicinity of the front outlet end 26. In addition, the two arms 38, 40 are respectively provided with a stud 46, 48. The two pins 46, 48 extend the one towards the other opposite. The two arms 38, 40 respectively receive a rod 50, 52. The rods 50, 52 are respectively rotatably mounted on the pins 46, 48 and each have an end opposite to that which is engaged in the stud, intended to be mounted pivoting on the bolt 14 as will be described below. Furthermore, it will be observed that the small wings 28, 30 are spaced from each other by a distance less than that which separates the two large wings 18, 20 of the housing 12, so that the handle 16 can to fit at least partially inside the housing 12.

In addition, a functional light 53 is formed in the small bottom 32 of the handle 16, towards the free end 34. It will be described in more detail its function in the following description.

The longitudinal bolt 14 has it, a pointed front end 54, a rear portion 56 and a free rear end 57 opposite the pointed front end 54. The rear portion 56 has a notch, and more specifically here a concave blind hole 58 in the vicinity of the free rear end 57, while one-third of the length of the bolt 14, in the rear portion 56, a transverse bore 60 is formed in a direction substantially perpendicular to that of the concave blind hole 58. In Furthermore, the front outlet end 26 of the housing 12 is adapted to be closed by means of a shutter 61 forming a nose, and having an axial bore 63 for guiding the longitudinal bolt 14 in translation.

We will refer again to the Figure 1 to describe the assembly of the first elements described above. Thus, there is the handle 16 mounted to pivot about a shaft 62 of axis A. Also appears on the Figure 1 one of the arms 38 whose corresponding stud 46 is rotatably mounted on one of the links 50. Of course, the other arm 40 is likewise connected to the other link 52 via its nipple 48. While the arms 38, 40 are oriented relative to the pivoting shaft 62 of the handle 16, in a direction opposite to the pointed rear end 24 of the housing 12, the links 50, 52, from the corresponding nipples 46, 48 are oriented opposite to the pointed rear end 24. In addition, each of the opposite ends of the rods is pivotally mounted on a pin 64, which passes through the transverse bore 60 of the bolt 14 and a stop ring 66 in which is engaged the bolt 14. In this way, the arms 38, 40 and their respective link 50, 52 form a toggle. The kinematics of the movement of these elements will be described later.

On the Figure 1 , the rear portion 56 of the longitudinal bolt 14 is partially engaged inside an axial guiding member 68 which appears by transparency inside the casing 12. This axial guiding member 68 is installed at the rear in a point 24 of the case 12. We will refer again to the Figure 3 to describe it in more detail.

It has a base 70 intended to bear on the large bottom 22 of the housing 12, which base is surmounted by a parallelepiped rectangular portion 71. It will be observed that this part Rectangular parallelepiped 71 has a width smaller than the distance separating the two large facing wings 18, 20. In addition, it has a guide tunnel 72 of circular symmetry formed in the rectangular parallelepipedal portion 71 for slidingly receiving the longitudinal bolt 14 In addition, it has an upper orifice 74 opening vertically into the guide tunnel 72 and inside this upper orifice 74 are engaged, an indexing ball 76 bonded to the end of a helical spring 78, the all of which is surmounted by a closure screw 80. The indexing ball 26 is then maintained, in the state of rest of the coil spring, projecting into the guiding tunnel 72. When the longitudinal bolt 14 is slidably engaged with the In the interior of the guide tunnel 72, the indexing ball is held in pressure against the longitudinal bolt 14 by means of the compressed helical spring. These elements constitute the stop device according to the invention. As will be explained below, as soon as the concave blind orifice 58 is extended facing the upper orifice 74, the indexing ball driven by the coil spring 78, penetrates inside the the concave blind orifice 58 and partially blocks in translation the longitudinal bolt 14.

In addition, the axial guide member 68 is held, its base 70 against the large bottom 22 of the housing 12, by means of two stop pins 82, 84 not shown on the Figure 3 , which respectively engage in two pairs of stop holes 86, 88; 90, 92 through the rectangular parallelepipedal portion 71 respectively in two stop holes 94, 96. Thus we find on the Figure 1 , the axial guiding member 68 held inside the housing 12 towards the pointed rear end 24. It will be observed that the housing 12 has two lateral free spaces respectively on each side of the parallelepipedal portion 71 through which a portion of stop pin 82, 84.

In addition, the handle 16 is equipped with a locking member 98 appearing through the functional light 53 and forming a push button. This locking member 98 consists of a U-shaped piece having a U-shaped part bottom 100 which is flush with the handle 16 through the functional light 53 and two facing wings respectively having a hook return 102, 104. The piece in U is articulated around a locking pin 106 which connects the two small flanges facing 28, 30 near the free end 34 and which freely passes through the two flanges opposite the U-shaped piece 100 to the right of the hook returns 102, 104. The U-shaped part 100 is held in a position where the part bottom is flush with the handle 16 via a not shown locking spring and installed around the locking pin 106. In addition, the locking member 98 on the bottom of the U-shaped piece 100, opposite the wings and the locking pin 106, an anatomical bearing zone 108.

We will observe on this Figure 1 that the hook returns 102, 104 are respectively engaged in the two lateral free spaces on each side of the parallelepiped part 71 and engage in one of the two stop pins 82, 84.

Furthermore, the handle 16 is also equipped with a handle spring 110 not shown on this Figure 1 but which is visible on the Figure 2 which will be described below. This handle spring 110 exerts effort on the handle 16 and on the housing 12, to move them away from each other. Thus, the handle 16 and the housing 12 as represented on the Figure 1 are they held closer to one another via the hook returns 102, 104 engaged with the locking pin 84, while the handle spring 110 is in tension.

We will first describe with reference to Figures 1 and 2 the mode of implementation of the hatch lock 10 between a locking position and an unlocking position where it is devoid of stop device according to the trap lock according to the prior art. In this case, the axial guide member 68 would then be devoid of indexing ball 76 and helical spring 78 associated.

Thus, when an operator bears on the anatomical bearing area 108 of the locking member 98, and exerts a pressure thereon so as to drive the U-shaped piece 100 towards the inside of the casing 12, the U-shaped piece 100 then pivots around the locking pin 106 counterclockwise, while the hook returns 102, 104 are driven toward the free end 34 of the handle 16 and escape the range of the locking pin 84. Doing so , the handle 16 becoming free is instantly recalled by the spring of handle 110 which rotates counter-clockwise to a position substantially perpendicular to the housing 12, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 . During this pivoting movement of the handle 16 by about 90 °, the two arms 38, 40 respectively exerted a force on the rods 50, 52, substantially in their longitudinal direction, which then caused the driving of the bolt 14 towards the pointed rear end 24 of the housing 12. The bolt 14 has then been brought to a retracted position as illustrated in FIG. Figure 2 .

However, thanks to the hatch lock according to the invention and the implementation of the stop device, the handle 16 as represented now on the Figure 4 is held in an intermediate position inclined by approximately 12 ° relative to the housing 12.

First of all, it will be observed that in the locking position as represented on the Figure 1 , the indexing ball 76 is pressed against the longitudinal bolt 14 between the free rear end 57 and the concave blind hole 58 of the longitudinal bolt 14. Also, the indexing ball 76 is at least partially depressed at inside the upper orifice 74.

As soon as an operator pushes the U-shaped part 100 into the housing 12 from the position of the handle 16 as shown in FIG. Figure 1 , the handle spring 110 plays its role and rotates the handle 16 counterclockwise. Accordingly, the handle 116 causes, as soon as it is released, the retraction of the bolt 14 towards the inside of the casing 12. And in so doing, the rear portion 56 is driven in translation through the guiding tunnel 72 of the rectangular parallelepipedal portion 71. However, the concave blind hole 58 which is in the position of the bolt 14 as shown in FIG. Figure 1 , very close to the indexing ball 76, comes very quickly to the right of the latter which, pushed by its helical spring 78, penetrates inside the concave blind hole 58. Therefore, the bolt 14 is blocked in translation in the guiding tunnel 72 and therefore the handle 16 locks in pivoting, since it is integral with the bolt 14 by means of the links 50, 52. The relative position of the concave blind hole 58 and the indexing ball 76, in the locking position as shown in FIG. Figure 1 , is determined so that the handle 16 and the housing 12 are separated from each other by an angle of approximately 12 °. We will observe on the Figure 4 that the handle 16 is sufficiently spaced from the housing 12, for the one hand that the hook returns 102, 104 are returned to their rest position and released relative to the stop pin 84, and for the other hand to be grasping with one hand, while the translational movement of the bolt 14 is relatively small and remains in a locking position. Furthermore, after it has been gripped with one hand, the movement of the handle 16 can be easily controlled by overcoming the retraction forces of the indexing ball 76 within the upper orifice 74 and by controlling the effects of the handle spring 110, so as to be carried in its position away from the housing, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 in which the bolt 14 is retracted. The edges of the concave blind hole 58 are chamfered to ramp for the indexing ball 76 when the bolt 14 is forced in one direction or the other through the guide tunnel 72.

Conversely, when the handle 16 is manually forced down against the housing 12, the forces exerted on its free end 34 compensate for both the compression forces of the handle spring 110, and in the vicinity of the 12 ° angle with the housing 12, the forces related to the engagement of the indexing ball 76 inside the concave blind hole 58.

The hatch lock according to the invention is thus safer and less dangerous. Indeed, despite the unexpected actuation of the controllable locking member, the bolt 14 remains in a locking position, and when an operator drives the locking member 98, the handle 16 does not rotate spontaneously 90 °. In both cases, the handle 16 is stopped in an intermediate position, in which the bolt 14 is in the locking position and where it is easily grippable for subsequent actuation.

Claims (8)

1. Hatch lock comprising a longitudinal housing (12) and a longitudinal bolt (14) which is slidably mounted inside said housing, said housing (12) having an exit end (26) and said bolt (14) being intended to protrude from said housing (12) through said exit end (26), said lock further comprising a handle (16) which is pivotably mounted on said housing (12) in the vicinity of said exit end (26), said handle being connected to said bolt (14) so as to be pivotable between a position in which it is folded down against said housing (12), in which position said bolt (14) extends outside said housing (12), and a position in which it is spaced apart from said housing, in which position said bolt (14) is retracted towards the inside of said housing (12), said handle (16) comprising a controllable locking member (98) for locking said handle (16) in said folded-down position; characterised in that it further comprises a stop device (68, 76, 78, 58) for holding said handle (16) in an intermediate position between said position in which it is folded down against said housing (12) and said position in which it is spaced apart from said housing after said handle (16) has been unlocked, and in that said stop device (68, 76, 78, 58) comprises a flexible member (76, 78) which is rigidly connected to said housing (12), whereas said longitudinal bolt (14) has a notch (58) which is capable of receiving said flexible member in order to hold said bolt (14) between the position in which it is extended outside said housing (12) and the position in which it is retracted towards the inside of said housing.
2. Hatch lock according to claim 1, characterised in that said stop device (68,76, 78, 58) makes it possible to hold said handle (16) in said intermediate position, inclined at an angle of less than 20° relative to said housing (12).
3. Hatch lock according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that said longitudinal bolt (14) has cylindrical rotational symmetry.
4. Hatch lock according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that said stop device (68, 76, 78, 58) is intended to hold said longitudinal bolt (14) in a fixed position relative to said housing (12), between the position in which it is extended outside said housing and the position in which it is retracted towards the inside of said housing, in order to hold said handle (16) in said intermediate position.
5. Hatch lock according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that said stop device (68, 76, 78, 58) comprises an axial guide member (68) which is mounted inside said housing (12), said axial guide member having a translational guide tunnel (72) for slidably receiving said longitudinal bolt (14).
6. Hatch lock according to claim 5, characterised in that said guide member (68) has an orifice (74) which opens into said guide tunnel (72), and in that said guide member comprises an indexing ball (76) having a return spring (78) which is housed inside said orifice (74) in order to form said flexible member.
7. Hatch lock according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that said controllable locking member (98) comprises a push button (100).
8. Hatch lock according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that said handle (16) is connected to said longitudinal bolt (14) by two small connecting rods (50, 52) which are pivotably mounted on said handle (16) and on said bolt (14).

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