EP2466043A1

EP2466043A1 - A coupling device of an external handle to a lock

Info

Publication number: EP2466043A1
Application number: EP11185561A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Claudio Ricci
Original assignee: MICROHARD Srl
Current assignee: MICROHARD S.R.L.
Priority date: 2010-12-20
Filing date: 2011-10-18
Publication date: 2012-06-20
Anticipated expiration: 2031-10-18
Also published as: IT1403274B1; ES2685485T3; EP2466043B1; ITMI20102326A1

Abstract

The coupling device (1) of an external handle to a lock comprises a rotatable element (4, 30) for translatingly displacing a coupling element (5, 36) of the external handle to the lock, the rotatable element (4, 30) having a first permanent magnetic pole and at least a second permanent magnetic pole (6, 7) which are of opposite polarity and destined to selectively face a third permanent magnetic pole (8) present in said coupling element (5, 36) in order to subject the coupling element (5, 36) to a magnetic displacement force in an opposite direction between a coupling position and a decoupling position of the external handle of the lock.

Description

The present invention relates to a coupling device of an external handle to a lock. For some time now the market has offered coupling devices of an external handle to a lock.
The main task of these devices is to enable selective opening of the threshold from the outside.
Various mechanical or electromechanical devices exist on the market which are able to couple the external handle to the lock.
This systems, according to their type, exhibit various drawbacks among which possibility of jamming, complexity connected to the high number of components, limited duration due to the loads to which the components are subjected to, the lack of flexibility which implicates the need to demount the lock to adapt its functioning to a lock with a left or a right-directed opening, excessive energy use in a case in which electrical energy has to be continuously supplied in order to maintain the coupling and/or decoupling condition.
The technical objective which the present invention discloses is, therefore, to realise a coupling device to the external handle which enables the technical drawbacks inherent in the prior art to be obviated.
In the ambit of this technical objective, an aim of the invention is to realise a coupling device of the external handle to a lock which eliminates or reduces to a minimum the possibility of jamming, which exhibits a stable coupling condition and a stable decoupling condition, which device is structurally and functionally simplified, which is more durable, which has a flexibility of use that is such as to be applicable without having to demount the lock whether coupled to door assemblies opening rightwards or leftwards, and which minimises energy consumption.
The technical objective, as well as these and other aims, according to the present invention, are attained by realising a coupling device of the external handle to a lock, characterised in that comprises a rotatable element for translatingly displacing a coupling element of the external handle to the lock, said rotatable element having a first permanent magnetic pole and at least a second permanent magnetic pole which are of opposite polarity and destined to selectively face a third permanent magnetic pole present in said coupling element in order to subject said coupling element to a magnetic displacement force in an opposite direction between a coupling position and a decoupling position of said external handle from said lock.
The rotatable element is preferably activated by an electric motor.
The coupling element is preferably supported in the element of lock in which the external handle follower is inserted and guided to slide, in a sliding seating which is radial to the rotation axis of the external handle follower, between the decoupling position, in which it is completely retracted in the sliding seating and the coupling position in which it partially projects and engages in an engagement seating present on the element of the lock in which the seating for the internal handle follower is afforded, in order to render the external handle follower solid in rotation with the internal handle follower.
In a first preferred embodiment of the invention the first permanent magnetic pole belongs to a first permanent magnet, the second magnetic pole belongs to a second permanent magnet, and the third magnetic pole belongs to a third permanent magnet.
In the first preferred embodiment of the invention, the rotatable element exhibits a rotation axis that is distanced from and perpendicular to the output shaft of the electric motor.
In the first preferred embodiment of the invention, the rotatable element preferably comprises a wheel exhibiting a cogging peripherally engaging with an endless screw that is solidly constrained to the output shaft of said electric motor.
In the first preferred embodiment of the invention the first and second permanent magnet are located with respect to one another at an angular distance of 90° with respect to the rotation axis of the rotatable element.
In the first preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second permanent magnets are preferably located on the cylindrical surface of the wheel, in an angularly offset position with respect to the cogging thereof.
In the first preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and the second permanent magnets preferably have a magnetic axis which is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the cogged wheel, while the third permanent magnet has a magnetic axis that is parallel to the translation direction of the coupling element. In a second preferred embodiment of the invention the rotatable element exhibits a rotation axis that is coaxial to the output shaft of the electric motor by which it is directly activated in rotation.
In this case a combination of a first and a second permanent magnet can be included, located with respect to one another at an angular distance of 180° with respect to the rotation axis of the shaft of the electric motor, or a single permanent magnet which takes the place of the first and second permanent magnets.
In the second preferred embodiment of the invention, a fourth permanent magnet is preferably comprised, suitable for selectively facing the first and respectively the second magnetic pole when the second and respectively first magnetic pole face the third magnetic pole for the stabilising of the coupling position and for the reduction of the torque required for the rotation of the rotatable element.
In this second preferred embodiment of the invention, all the permanent magnets have, when the handle and the lock are at rest, the same magnetic axis and in particular the third and fourth permanent magnets have opposite directions.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will more clearly emerge from the description of a first preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the coupling device of the external handle to a lock according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a perspective view of the coupling device in a first preferred embodiment of the invention;
figure 2 is a plan view of the coupling device of figure 1 in the decoupling position;
figure 3 is a view of the coupling device of figure 2, sectioned along line A-A in the decoupling position;
figure 4 is a plan view of the coupling device of figure 1 in the coupling position, with the external handle follower not rotated;
figure 5 is a plan view of the coupling device of figure 1 in the coupling position, with the external handle follower rotated; and
figure 6 is a further perspective and exploded view of the coupling device of figure 1;
figure 7 is a plan view of the coupling device in conformity with a second preferred embodiment of the invention in the decoupling position;
figure 8 is a view of the coupling device of figure 7, sectioned along line C-C in the decoupling position;
figure 9 is a perspective view of the coupling device of figure 7, in a partially exploded view in the decoupling position;
figure 10 is a perspective view of the coupling device of figure 7 in the decoupling position.

With reference to the first preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated in figures 1-6, a coupling device 1 of the external handle (not shown) to a lock (not shown) is illustrated.
The coupling device 1, contained in a special housing 2 afforded internally of a plate 3 to be applied to the lock assembly, comprises a rotatable element 4 for translatingly displacement of a coupling element 5 of the external handle of the lock.
The activating element 4 exhibits a first permanent magnetic pole 6 and a second permanent magnet pole 7 having an opposite polarity destined to selectively face, by effect of the rotation of the activating element 4, a third permanent magnetic pole 8 present in the coupling element 5 such as to subject the coupling element 5 to a magnetic displacement force in an opposite direction between a coupling position of the external handle to the lock and a decoupling position of the external handle from the lock.
The first permanent magnetic pole 6 belongs to a first permanent magnet 306, the second permanent magnetic pole 7 belongs to a second permanent magnet 307, and the third magnetic pole 8 belongs to a third permanent magnet 308.
The rotatable element4 is activated by an electric motor 9.
The rotatable element 4 exhibits a rotation axis 10 distanced from and perpendicular to the rotation axis 11 of the output shaft of the electric motor 9. The rotatable element 4 comprises a wheel exhibiting a cogging 12 which enmeshes with an endless screw 13 fixed to the end of the output shaft of the electric motor 9.
The first permanent magnet 306 and the second permanent magnet 307 are located at a reciprocal angular distance of 90° with respect to the rotation axis 10 and are facing the cylindrical surface of the wheel in an angularly offset position with respect to the cogging 12 thereof.
The first and the second permanent magnets 306 and 307 have a magnetic axis which is perpendicular to the axis 10, while the third permanent magnet 308 has a magnetic axis which is parallel to the translation direction of the coupling element 5.
The coupling element 5 is supported in the element 17 of the device in which the external handle follower 18 is inserted and is guided to slide, in a sliding seating 19 that is radial with respect to the rotation axis 20 of the external handle follower 18, between the decoupling position in which it is completely retracted into the sliding seating 19 and the coupling position in which it partially projects, engaging in an engagement seating 21 present on the element 22 of the device in which the seating for the internal handle follower 23 is afforded, in order to constrain the external handle follower 18 solidly to the internal handle follower 23 in rotation about the rotation axis 20.
The rotation axis 10 of the rotatable element 4 is parallel to the rotation axis 20 that is common to the external handle follower 18 and to the internal handle follower 23.
The assembly comprising the electric motor 9, the endless screw 13 and the rotatable element 4 is in a position underlying the assembly comprising the elements 17 and respectively 22, in which the external handle follower 18 and respectively the internal handle follower 23 are inserted.
The functioning of the device is, briefly, as follows.
In a hypothetical initial situation with the external handle enabled, among the magnetic poles of the permanent magnets 306 and 307 the pole having the same sign as the magnetic pole of the permanent magnet 308 facing towards the rotatable element 4 faces the latter. The magnetic repulsive force between the two magnetic poles of the same sign forces the coupling element 5 into the protracted position in the engaging seating 21 (figure 4), wherein the elements 17 and 22 are made solid in rotation.
In this situation, if the external handle is activated, the command is transmitted to the lock by effect of the coupling between the elements 17 and 22.
If the external handle is to be disabled, the electric motor 9 has to be activated which, by rotating the rotatable element 4 by 90°, brings the pole (of the magnetic poles of the permanent magnets 306 and 307) having an opposite sign to the sign of the magnetic pole of the permanent magnet 308 facing the rotatable element 4, to face the latter. The magnetic attraction force between the two magnetic poles having opposite signs moves the coupling element 5 into the retracted position in the sliding seating 19 (figure 2) in which the elements 17 and 22 are no longer solidly in rotation.
In this situation, if the external handle is activated, the command is not transmitted to the lock, given that the elements 17 and 22 are coupled.
The coupling device of the external handle to the lock exhibits a plurality of advantages: for its functioning only a limited amount of energy is required, and only for the time necessary to switch the rotatable element between its two operating states, while the device requires no electrical supply during the time the rotatable element remains in one of its operating states; it guarantees an intrinsic stability of the rotatable element in its two operating states; it is extremely compact and has a limited number of components which increase its economy and overall reliability. It has a longer working life because its components do not contain springs or other elastic elements subject to flexion or torsion, and lastly it is adaptable without having to demount the lock to both a left-opening and a right-opening lock assembly.
A second preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in figures from 7 to 10.
In this case the rotatable element 30 exhibits a rotation axis 31 that is coaxial to the output shaft of the electric motor 39 by which it is directly activated in rotation.
The first permanent magnet 34 and the second permanent magnet 35 constitute a single rotatable magnetic dipole with the magnetic axis 32 rotating about the rotating axis 31 of the output shaft of the electric motor 39 in a perpendicular plane to the rotation axis 31 of the output shaft of the electric motor 39. Further, in this case, to stabilise the coupling position of the coupling element 36 and to reduce the torque required for rotation of the rotatable element 30, a fourth permanent magnet 33 can be provided in a fixed position having a magnetic field with a coaxial direction to the direction of the magnetic field of the third permanent magnet 38 and with an opposite direction, destined to face the first permanent magnet 34 when the second permanent magnet 35 faces the third permanent magnet 38, and to face the second permanent magnet 35 when, by effect of a half-revolution rotation of the magnetic dipole constituted by the first permanent magnet 34 and the second permanent magnet 35, the first permanent magnet 34 faces the third permanent magnet 38.
The coupling device of the external handle to a lock as it is conceived herein is susceptible to numerous modifications and variants, all falling within the ambit of the inventive concept; further, all the details can be substituted by technically-equivalent elements.
The materials used, as well as the dimensions can in practice be any, according to needs and the state of the art.

Claims

A coupling device (1) of an external handle to a lock, characterised in that it comprises a rotatable element (4, 30) for translatingly displacing a coupling element (5, 36) of the external handle to the lock, said rotatable element (4, 30) having a first permanent magnetic pole and at least a second permanent magnetic pole which are of opposite polarity and destined to selectively face a third permanent magnetic pole present in said coupling element (5, 36) in order to subject said coupling element (5, 36) to a magnetic displacement force in an opposite direction between a coupling position and a decoupling position of said external handle from said lock.
The coupling device (1) of the external handle to a lock according to claim 1, characterised in that said rotatable element (4, 30) is activated by an electric motor (9, 39).
The coupling device (1) of the external handle to a lock according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said coupling element (5, 36) is supported in the element (17) in which the external handle follower (18) is inserted and is guided to slide in a sliding seating (19) which is radial with respect to the rotation axis (20) of the external handle follower (18), between said decoupling position in which it is completely retracted in said sliding seating (19) and said coupling position in which it partially projects and engages in an engagement seating (21) present on the element of the device in which the seating is afforded for the internal handle follower (23) in order to make the external handle follower (18) solidly in rotation with the internal handle follower (23).
The coupling device (1) of the external handle to a lock according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said first magnetic pole belongs to a first permanent magnet (306, 34), said second permanent magnetic pole belongs to a second permanent magnet (307, 35), and said third permanent magnetic pole belongs to a third permanent magnet (308, 38).
The coupling device (1) of the external handle to a lock according to the preceding claim, characterised in that said rotatable element (4) has a rotation axis (10) which is distanced from and perpendicular to the output shaft of said electric motor (9).
The coupling device (1) of the external handle to a lock according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that said rotatable element (4) comprises a wheel having a cogging (12) engaging peripherally with an endless screw (13) solidly constrained to said output shaft of said electric motor (9).
The coupling device (1) of the external handle to a lock of one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said first permanent magnet (306) and said second permanent magnet (307) are reciprocally located at an angular distance of 90° with respect to the rotation axis (10) of said rotatable element (4).
The coupling device (1) of the external handle to a lock according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that said first permanent magnet (306) and said second permanent magnet (307) are located with a pole thereof on the cylindrical surface of said wheel in an angularly offset position with respect to the cogging (12) thereof.
The coupling device (1) of the external handle to a lock according to the preceding claim, characterised in that said first permanent magnet (306) and said second permanent magnet (307) have a magnetic axis which is perpendicular to the rotation axis of said rotatable element (4), and said third permanent magnet (308) has a magnetic axis which is parallel to the translation direction of said coupling element (5).
The coupling device (1) of the external handle to a lock according to one or more of any claim from 2 to 4 and from 6 to 9, characterised in that said rotatable element (30) has a rotation axis which is coaxial to the rotation axis (31) of the output shaft of said electric motor (39) by which it is directly activated to rotate.
The coupling device (1) of the external handle to a lock according to the preceding claim, characterised in that said first permanent magnet (34) and said second permanent magnet (35) generate a single magnetic dipole.
The coupling device (1) of the external handle to a lock according to the preceding claim, characterised in that it comprises a fourth permanent magnet (33) having the same magnetic axis as the magnetic axis of said third permanent magnet (38) and an opposite direction thereto, destined to selectively face said first permanent magnet (34) and respectively said second permanent magnet (35), when said second permanent magnet (35) and respectively said first permanent magnet (34) face said third permanent magnet (38) for stabilising said coupling position.
A lock characterised in that it comprises a coupling device (1) of the external handle according to one or more of the preceding claims.