EP3513018A1

EP3513018A1 - Electrically-actuated lock

Info

Publication number: EP3513018A1
Application number: EP17847757.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Fausto Fustini; Claudio BALLANTI
Original assignee: CISA SpA
Current assignee: CISA SpA
Priority date: 2017-11-27
Filing date: 2017-11-27
Publication date: 2019-07-24
Also published as: WO2019102502A1

Abstract

An electrically-actuated lock (1) comprising a door leaf (2) that can move with respect to a frame (3) installed at an opening in a wall; the door leaf (2) comprises an electric apparatus which is preferably chosen from among a motorized lock, a processor for controlling and managing the open and closed state of the door leaf (2), an assembly for receiving and transmitting data, and the like; the lock (1) comprises at least one rechargeable battery (4) for supplying power to the electric apparatus, at least one circuit for connecting the at least one rechargeable battery (4) to a connector (5) that can be accessed from outside the lock (1), at least one battery charger (6) which is provided with a plug (7) with shape and dimensions that are complementary to those of the connector (5); the insertion of the plug (7) into the connector (5) when the battery charger (6) is connected to the mains electricity supply results in the recharging of the at least one batter 4.

Description

ELECTRICALLY-ACTUATED LOCK

The present invention relates to an electrically-actuated lock, in particular of the type provided with an accumulator battery (i.e. self- powered, of the type known in the sector as "standalone").

Standalone electric locks, as with all closure elements, even the most complex and elaborate, are generally preferred to locks that are powered by a mains electricity supply because they can be installed without the need for a wired connection to the mains.

A wired connection to the mains, in fact, means carrying out masonry work.

For example it may be necessary to provide ducts within which to accommodate the wires: the ducts can be provided directly inside the wall (by cutting seats into the walls and, after inserting the wires, refilling the seats with mortar and the like), or they can be attached externally to the wall by screws, inserts and the like.

The solution of installing ducts for wires outside the walls compromises the appearance of the environment and therefore is, in many cases, ruled out.

Carrying out masonry work, by contrast, generates many drawbacks and annoyances, in addition to also being rather expensive.

Electric closure elements and electric locks provided with batteries for power are therefore preferred because they simplify the installation operations and they do not compromise the appearance of the installation environment in any way.

However, conventional electric closure elements and locks require meticulous regular maintenance, in that the batteries have to be periodically replaced in order to ensure correct operation (the absence of a correct electric power supply implies a malfunctioning of the actuators and, therefore, exclusively mechanical operation of the closure element and/or of the lock, through the use of the key and the actuation handle). Battery replacement operations cannot be planned over time with precision, in that they depend on the intensity with which the closure element and/or the lock has been used (if use is rare then the duration of the batteries will obviously be greater).

Over the long term, furthermore, the cost associated with the periodic battery replacement could be significant, especially in buildings where there are numerous electric closure elements and locks to be subjected to this kind of maintenance.

Furthermore, battery replacement operations require the intervention of a qualified technician (or in any case someone trained for such operations) which entails further costs for managing the system.

The aim of the present invention is to solve the above mentioned drawbacks, by providing an electrically-actuated lock of the type that is self- powered with batteries but which does not require a frequent and periodic replacement of those batteries.

Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide an electrically- actuated lock that has low management costs.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electrically-actuated lock that requires minimal and simple maintenance interventions, which can be carried out even by staff with no training.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an electrically-actuated lock that is low cost, easily and practically implemented, and safe in use.

This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by an electrically-actuated lock of the type comprising a door leaf that can move with respect to a frame installed at an opening in a wall, said door leaf comprising an electric apparatus which is preferably chosen from among a motorized lock, a processor for controlling and managing the open and closed state of said door leaf, an assembly for receiving and transmitting data and the like, characterized in that it comprises:

- at least one rechargeable battery for supplying power to said electric apparatus,

- at least one circuit for connecting said at least one rechargeable battery to a connector that can be accessed from outside the lock,

- at least one battery charger which is provided with a plug with shape and dimensions that are complementary to those of said connector,

the insertion of said plug into said connector when said battery charger is connected to the mains electricity supply resulting in the recharging of the at least one battery.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the detailed description that follows of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the electrically-actuated lock according to the invention, which is illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an electrically-actuated lock according to the invention, in which the frame is shown transparent;

Figure 2 is a schematic front elevation view of a portion of the lock in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a schematic front elevation view of a portion of the lock in Figure 1 in which the frame is shown transparent.

With reference to the figures, the reference numeral 1 generally designates an electrically-actuated lock.

The lock 1 comprises a door leaf 2 that can move with respect to a frame 3 which is installed at an opening in a wall.

The door leaf 2 comprises an electric apparatus which is preferably chosen from between a motorized lock, a processor for controlling and managing the open and closed state of the door leaf 2, an assembly for receiving and transmitting data and the like.

The lock 1 comprises at least one rechargeable battery 4 for supplying power to the electric apparatus.

The lock 1 according to the invention further comprises at least one circuit for connecting the at least one rechargeable battery 4 to a connector 5 that can be accessed from outside the lock 1.

Also provided according to the invention is at least one battery charger 6 which is provided with a plug 7 with shape and dimensions that are complementary to those of the connector 5.

The insertion of the plug 7 into the connector 5 when the battery charger 6 is connected to the mains electricity supply will result in the recharging of the batteries 4.

In this manner, without any need for masonry work, it is possible to adopt an electric lock 1 powered by battery 4, but in which the batteries do not have to be regularly replaced as in conventional electric locks but instead can be easily recharged.

The recharging operation does not require any specific skill in that it can be done simply by inserting the plug 7 into the connector 5 and connecting the battery charger 6 to the mains electricity supply. This is particularly advantageous with respect to conventional locks, for which an operator instead has to remove respective protective housings of the battery compartment, remove the batteries and replace them with new ones (taking care to observe the polarities in their arrangement).

It should be noted that, with particular reference to an embodiment of undoubted practical and applicative interest, the connector 5 can positively be installed at a respective receptacle of the frame 3 : in the case shown in the figure, for example, the receptacle is constituted by a hole present in the frame into which the connector 5 can be inserted and in which it can be locked in place using conventional techniques.

Furthermore it should be noted that the at least one circuit for connecting the at least one rechargeable battery 4 to the connector 5 which can be accessed from outside the lock 1 comprises at least one connection cable 8, and at least one first 9 and one second electrical contact element 10 which are facing each other and proximate to each other in the closed configuration of the door leaf 1.

In the embodiment described previously the first electrical contact element 9 is installed on the door leaf 2 and is connected to the electric apparatus, while the second electrical contact element 10 is installed on the frame 3.

The first electrical contact element 9 can advantageously comprise a guide element for an insert which is provided with respective protrusions made of electrically conducting material which are connected to the apparatus.

In such configuration the second electrical contact element 10 will comprise a main body and specific electrical contact surfaces which are connected by way of the respective cable 8 to the connector 5.

It should be noted that the insert can be movable.

In such case at least one portion of the insert and of the main body can be made of a material chosen to be either ferromagnetic or magnetic.

In the closed configuration of the door leaf 2, the body and the insert will be subjected to mutual magnetic attraction with consequent translation of the insert (which can move) toward the second electrical contact element 10 with consequent abutment of respective protrusions of the first element 9 on the contact surfaces of the second element 10 and consequent connection of the electric apparatus to the connector 5, in order to recharge the batteries 4.

With particular reference to an embodiment of undoubted practical interest, the battery charger 6 can conveniently comprise a voltage transformer and an AC to DC converter. For example it can be a battery charger 6 that is capable of converting the mains AC voltage (for example 1 10 V AC, or 230 V AC) to continuous voltage with a preset value (for example 12 V DC or 24 V DC). It should be noted that the plug 7 and the connector 5 can advantageously constitute a three-pin DC connection assembly (for example of the commercial type).

The rechargeable batteries 4 can be a plurality, and connected to each other according to a predefined circuit diagram. For example two, three, four or more batteries 4 can be used (and even configurations constituted by a large number of batteries 4 are possible, such as for example ten or twelve batteries 4).

The batteries 4 can be chosen from the commercial standardized formats available on the market (for example AA batteries 4 can be used).

Finally it should be noted that at least one component chosen from between the door leaf 2 and the frame 3 can profitably comprise means of signaling the passing of a lower charge threshold of the at least one battery 4.

Upon the emission of such signal of a flat battery 4, it will be necessary to connect the battery charger 6 to the mains electricity supply and insert the plug 7 into the connector 5, in order to carry out the recharging of that battery 4.

It should be noted that the length of the cable 11 that connects the battery charger 6 to the plug 7 has a length that is a function of recharging: a very long cable 1 1 will allow the operator to recharge the batteries 4 even if the nearest electrical socket to the door leaf 2 is several meters away from it.

At installation time, it will only be necessary to provide the receptacle for the connector 5 (by making a hole in the frame 3 into which to insert the connector and lock it in place). Then the cable 8 will be distributed inside the frame 3 so that it does not interfere or abut with any other component and so it can be easily connected to the second element 10. In practice the installation operations do not entail any complex and/or expensive steps and therefore they are particularly simple and rapid.

Advantageously the present invention solves the above mentioned problems, by providing an electrically-actuated lock 1 of the type that is self- powered with batteries 4 which does not require a frequent and periodic replacement of those batteries. In fact the batteries can be easily recharged using the battery charger 6.

Positively the lock 1 according to the invention has low running costs, in that it entails no regular replacement of the batteries 4 (except for when the batteries exceed their maximum number of recharging operations, which will only arise after a long period of service).

Conveniently the lock 1 according to the invention requires minimal and simple maintenance interventions, which can be carried out even by staff with no training: it is only necessary in fact to periodically recharge the batteries 4 using the battery charger 6.

Positively the lock 1 according to the invention is easily and practically implemented and can be implemented at low cost: such characteristics make the lock 1 according to the invention an innovation that is certain to be safe in use.

The invention, thus conceived, is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, all the details may be substituted by other, technically equivalent elements.

In the embodiments illustrated, individual characteristics shown in relation to specific examples may in reality be interchanged with other, different characteristics, existing in other embodiments.

In practice, the materials employed, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

Where the technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference numerals and/or signs, those reference numerals and/or signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference numerals and/or signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference numerals and/or signs.

Claims

1. An electrically-actuated lock of the type comprising a door leaf (2) that can move with respect to a frame (3) installed at an opening in a wall, said door leaf (2) comprising an electric apparatus which is preferably chosen from among a motorized lock, a processor for controlling and managing the open and closed state of said door leaf (2), an assembly for receiving and transmitting data, and the like, characterized in that it comprises:

- at least one rechargeable battery (4) for supplying power to said electric apparatus,

- at least one circuit for connecting said at least one rechargeable battery (4) to a connector (5) that can be accessed from outside the lock (1),

- at least one battery charger (6) which is provided with a plug (7) with shape and dimensions that are complementary to those of said connector (5), the insertion of said plug (7) into said connector (5) when said battery charger (6) is connected to the mains electricity supply resulting in the recharging of the at least one battery (4).

2. The lock according to claim 1, characterized in that said connector (5) is installed at a respective receptacle of said frame (3).

3. The lock according to claim 1 , characterized in that said at least one circuit for connecting said at least one rechargeable battery (4) to said connector (5) which can be accessed from outside the lock (1) comprises at least one connection cable (8), and at least one first (9) and one second electrical contact element (10) which are facing each other and proximate to each other in the closed configuration of the door leaf (2).

4. The lock according to claim 3, characterized in that said first electrical contact element (9) is installed on said door leaf (2) and is connected to said electrical apparatus, and said second electrical contact element (10) is installed on said frame (3).

5. The lock according to claim 4, characterized in that said first electrical contact element (9) comprises a guide element for an insert provided with respective protrusions made of electrically conducting material which are connected to said apparatus, and said second electrical contact element (10) comprises a main body and specific electrical contact surfaces which are connected by way of said cable (8) to said connector (5).

6. The lock according to claim 5, characterized in that said insert can move, at least a portion of said insert of said first element (9) and of said main body of said second element (10) being made of a material chosen to be either ferromagnetic and magnetic, in the closed configuration of said door leaf (2) said body and said insert being subjected to mutual magnetic attraction with consequent translation of said insert toward said second electrical contact element (10) with consequent abutment of said protrusions on said contact surfaces and connection of said electric apparatus to said connector (5).

7. The lock according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said battery charger (6) comprises a voltage transformer and an AC to DC converter.

8. The lock according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said plug (7) and said connector (5) are a three-pin DC connection assembly.

9. The lock according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said rechargeable batteries (4) are a plurality and are connected to each other according to a predefined circuit diagram.

10. The lock according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one component chosen from between said door leaf (2) and said frame (3) comprises means of signaling the passing of a lower charge threshold of said at least one battery (4).