EP4685316A1

EP4685316A1 - Improvements relating to door and window locking assemblies

Info

Publication number: EP4685316A1
Application number: EP25189653.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Stuart HOLLAND
Original assignee: Assa Abloy Ltd
Current assignee: Assa Abloy Ltd
Priority date: 2024-07-22
Filing date: 2025-07-15
Publication date: 2026-01-28
Also published as: GB2644426A; GB202410699D0

Abstract

A door or window locking assembly (1) comprises a gearbox (3), a first locking bar (5), a second locking bar (7), and a locking bar retainer (9). The first locking bar (5) and second locking bar (7) are arranged upon a locking surface of the gearbox (3) such that, upon actuation of the gearbox (3), the first locking bar (5) moves in a first direction and the second locking bar (7) moves in an opposite second direction. The first locking bar (5) and the second locking bar (7) are positioned between the gearbox (3) and a retaining portion (901) of the locking bar retainer (9) and a securing portion (903) of the locking bar retainer (9) is secured to the gearbox (3) such that the first locking bar (5) and second locking bar (7) are held in place upon the locking surface of the gearbox (3) by the locking bar retainer (9).

Description

Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns a door or window locking assembly. The invention also concerns a gearbox for use with a door or window locking assembly.

Background of the Invention

Espagnolette locks are traditionally employed in so called French doors and casement windows and provide multiple locking points along the door or window edge to reduce the risk of a successful forced entry. Shoot bolt locks, on the other hand, incorporate locking bolts that extend from a door or window vertically into the window or door frame, in a direction typically parallel with the edge of the door or window. These locks are particularly effective in securing the tops and bottoms of windows and doors.
Locks of this type come in variety of sizes and configurations due to such locks being used on a variety of types of doors and window. A supplier of such locks will therefore typically have to stock many different types of lock in order to ensure that they can fulfil the demands of their customers. Where the locks are manufactured overseas, there can be a long delay between a supplier placing an order with the manufacturer and the order arriving to the supplier. Suppliers may therefore need to overstock locks to ensure that demand can be met. This can lead to suppliers having to carry a lot of stock and can leave suppliers being left with unsold stock which goes to waste.
The present invention seeks to mitigate the above-mentioned problems. Alternatively or additionally, the present invention seeks to provide an improved door or window locking assembly, as well as an improved gearbox for a door or window assembly.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides, according to a first aspect, a door or window locking assembly comprising a gearbox, a first locking bar, a second locking bar, and a locking bar retainer. The gearbox comprises a body and a locking surface positioned on a side of the body. The locking surface comprises a first actuating member and a second actuating member. The gearbox is configured to move the first actuating member and the second actuating member in mutually opposing directions upon actuation of the gearbox. The first locking bar and second locking bar are arranged upon the locking surface of the gearbox such that, upon actuation of the gearbox, the first actuating member engages with the first locking bar to move the first locking bar in a first direction and the second actuating member engages with the second locking bar to move the second locking bar in an opposite second direction. The locking bar retainer comprises a retaining portion and a securing portion. The first locking bar and the second locking bar are positioned between the body of the gearbox and the retaining portion of the locking bar retainer. The securing portion of the locking bar retainer is secured to the body of the gearbox such that the first locking bar and second locking bar are held in place upon the locking surface of the gearbox by the locking bar retainer.
The door or window locking assembly according to the invention comprises a gearbox to which first and second locking bars are secured by a locking bar retainer. An advantage of the gearbox is that it may be suitable for use in many different types and sizes of locking assemblies requiring actuation of locking bars in mutually opposing directions. Shoot bolt locking assemblies and espagnolette locking assemblies are two examples of embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, the provision of a gearbox of this type may reduce the manufacturing time and cost of the locking assembly, relative to prior art locking assemblies where the gearbox must be assembled together with the locking bars. The gearbox may effectively serve as a modular component that facilitates "late stage" assembly of the locking assembly, in comparison to an equivalent locking assembly that is manufactured in a fully factored form overseas. For example, a supplier of locking assemblies can simply stock gearboxes and various types and sizes of locking bar and assemble locking assemblies locally as required to meet demand. This may reduce the amount of stock that a supplier has to carry and also reduce the time needed to obtain extra stock, should there be a shortage.
The first locking bar and second locking bar may each comprise one or more locking members. The locking members may comprise bolts, mushroom rollers, hooks, or a combination thereof. The type and number of locking members provided by each locking bar will depend on the type of locking assembly and its intended use.
The first actuating member may be referred to herein as a forwards actuating member and the second actuating member may be referred to as a reverse actuating member. Conversely, the first actuating member may be referred to herein as a reverse actuating member and the second actuating member may be referred to as a forwards actuating member. The term "locking surface" may be understood to refer to the part of the gearbox where the actuating members are situated and which will thereby interface with the first and second locking bars.
The gearbox may comprise a housing. The body of the gearbox may comprise a main part. The main part of the gearbox may comprise the housing. The gearbox may comprise a cover plate. The cover plate may be fastened to the housing to retain the constituent parts of the gearbox within the housing (such that the first actuating member and the second actuating member). The gearbox may comprise a drive wheel which is mechanically coupled to the first actuating member and the second actuating member. The drive wheel may be contained within the housing. The gearbox may be actuated by rotating the drive wheel. The drive wheel may be provided with an aperture through which a spindle may be inserted for the purposes of rotating the drive wheel. The spindle may be mounted to a door or window handle, for example.
The body of the gearbox may comprise a wall. The wall may extend from a main part of the body of the gearbox. For example, the wall may extend from a housing of the gear box. The wall may be proximate the locking surface. The wall may be positioned at an edge of the locking surface. The wall may run along an edge of the locking surface. A first edge of the retaining portion of the locking bar retainer may be interlocked with the wall. The wall may therefore prevent the first edge of the retaining portion from being able to be pulled away from the locking surface. The provision of a wall in this manner may enable the locking bar retainer to be secured to the gearbox with fewer fasteners than would be the case with no wall. The wall may be integrally formed with the body of the gearbox. The wall may be discontinuous; for example, a first opening may be provided in a first portion of the wall and a second opening may be provided in a second portion of the wall which is spaced apart from the first portion. The wall may extend below the locking surface, in which case the retaining portion of the locking bar retainer may interlock with the wall at a position situated below the locking surface. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the wall may extend above the locking surface, in which case the retaining portion of the locking bar retainer may interlock with the wall at a position situated above the locking surface. The wall may extend along a direction parallel with a direction in which the first or second actuating members are configured to move. The first and second actuating members may be configured to move along an axis in opposite directions.
The first edge of the retaining portion of the locking bar retainer may comprise one or more projecting members that extend into corresponding openings formed in the wall to interlock the first edge of the securing portion with the wall. The wall may extend in a first direction away from the locking surface and the opening(s) may extend into the wall in a substantially perpendicular second direction. There may be two or more projecting members. There may be a corresponding number of openings formed in the wall to the number of projecting members of the retaining portion. The projecting members may extend away from the retaining portion in a plane defined by the retaining portion. In some embodiments, the wall may comprise one or more protecting members that extend into corresponding openings formed in the retaining portion of the locking bar retainer.
The wall may extend from the body of the gearbox on a first side of the gearbox. The securing portion of the locking bar retainer may be fastened to the body on an opposite second side of the body of the gearbox. The wall may therefore enable the locking bar retainer to be fastened to the gearbox on only one side of the body of the gearbox due to the retaining portion of the locking bar retainer being interlocked to the wall, and thereby secured to the gearbox, on the other side of the gearbox.
The body of the gearbox may be formed with a recess. At least part of the securing portion of the locking bar retainer may be received in the recess. For example, a tab of the locking bar retainer may be received in the recess. There may be multiple recesses in which parts of the securing portion, such as tabs, are received.
The body of the gearbox may comprise an outer surface. At least part of the securing portion of the locking bar retainer may be flush with the outer surface. At least part of the securing portion of the locking bar retainer may be situated within an outer boundary of the gearbox which is defined by the body. As such, the securing portion of the locking bar retainer may not protrude beyond the outer boundary of the body of the gearbox. Such an arrangement may ensure that the locking assembly is not oversized in the region of the gearbox and may be received within the mortise of a door or window.
The retaining portion of the locking bar retainer may be oriented substantially perpendicularly to the securing portion. For example, the retaining portion may comprise a plate and the securing portion may comprise one or more tabs which extend substantially perpendicularly to the plate. The locking bar retainer may be fastened to the gearbox via fasteners that pass through the securing portion and engage with the gearbox. The fasteners may be any suitable type of fastener, rivets or screws being two such examples.
The retaining portion of the locking bar retainer may comprise a plate. The plate may be rectangular. The plate may be elongate. In some embodiments, the retaining portion may, for example, be formed by multiple plates or other structural members which extend from the securing portion. The locking assembly may comprise a cover plate. The retaining portion of the locking assembly may be flush with the cover plate of the locking assembly.
The first locking bar may be positioned between the locking surface of the gearbox and the second locking bar. Alternatively, the second locking bar may be positioned between the locking surface of the gearbox and the first locking bar. The first and second locking bar may be positioned on top of one another. In embodiments of the invention, the first and second locking bar may be positioned side-by-side.
According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a gearbox for a locking assembly. The gearbox may be suitable for use as the gearbox of the locking assembly of the first aspect of the invention. The gearbox comprises a body and a locking surface positioned on the body. The locking surface comprises a first actuating member and a second actuating member. The gearbox is configured to move the first actuating member and the second actuating member in mutually opposing directions upon actuation of the gearbox. The body of the gearbox also comprises a wall having formations configured to interlock with a locking bar retainer.
The locking surface may be positioned on a side of the body. The wall may extend away from the locking surface. The wall may extend above the locking surface. The wall may be situated at a side of the locking surface. The formations may be openings which are configured to receive part of a locking bar retainer. There may be two or more openings configured to receive part of a locking bar retainer.
The body of the gearbox may be provided with one or more openings configured to receive fasteners for fastening a locking bar retainer to the gearbox. The openings may be provided by bosses. The bosses may be integrally formed with the body of the gearbox. The openings configured to receive fasteners for fastening a locking bar retainer to the gearbox may be situated within recessed portions of the body. The body of the gearbox may be formed with a recess configured to receive part of a locking bar retainer, such as part of a securing portion of a locking bar retainer.
The body of the gearbox may be similar in shape and size to the prior art gear boxes that the gearbox of the invention is intended to replace. For example, the gearbox body may be substantially cuboidal. Generally, the body of the gearbox will be sized and shaped to fit within a mortise of a door or window.
The first actuating member may be situated in a first plane and may be configured to move along the first plane. The second actuating member may be situated in a second plane and configured to move along the second plane. The second plane being oriented substantially parallel to the first plane and spaced apart from the first plane. Such an arrangement permits a first locking bar to be positioned above a second locking bar (or, conversely, a second locking bar to be positioned above a first locking bar). In particular, this arrangement facilitates the first locking bar being able to extend on both sides of the gearbox to move locking bolts on both side of the gearbox and, similarly, the second locking bar being able to extend on both sides of the gearbox to move locking bolts on both side of the gearbox, as required in an espagnolette-type arrangement.
It will of course be appreciated that features described in relation to one aspect of the present invention may be incorporated into the other aspect of the present invention. For example, the gearbox of the second aspect of the invention may incorporate any of the features described with reference to the gearbox of the locking assembly of the first aspect of the invention and vice versa.

Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a locking assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the locking assembly shown in Figure 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the gearbox used in the locking assembly of the first embodiment of the invention and in the locking assembly of the second embodiment of the invention (which is shown in FIG. 5);
FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the gearbox shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a locking assembly according to a second embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 6 is a magnified exploded view of the locking assembly of the second embodiment of the invention showing the central region of the espagnolette assembly, the gearbox, and the locking bar retainer;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the locking assembly of the second embodiment of the invention showing the forwards locking member engaged with the first locking bar; and
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the locking assembly of the second embodiment of the invention showing reverse locking member engaged with the second locking bar.

Detailed Description

A locking assembly 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The locking assembly 1 is a shoot bolt-type locking assembly that may be used on a door or window. The locking assembly 1 comprises a gearbox 3, a first locking bar 5, a second locking bar 7, and a locking bar retainer 9.
The gearbox 3, which is shown in isolation in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, comprises a body 300 formed by a main housing 301 and a cover plate 303. A drive wheel 305, a first reversing gear 307, a second reversing gear 309, a forwards actuating member 311, and a reverse actuating member 313 are positioned within the main housing 301. It should be noted that the each of the respective first reversing gear 307 and second reversing gear 309 is formed by two pinion wheels having the same size and shape as one another and being arranged on a common axis, as shown in FIG. 4.
The drive wheel 305 comprises a cylindrical body formed with a square hole 315 and comprises a first rack surface 317 situated alongside a second rack surface 319, the first rack surface 317 and the second rack surface 319 each providing a plurality of teeth arranged along the outer circumference of the cylindrical body of the drive wheel 305. The drive wheel 305 sits within the main housing 301 and the first reversing gear 307 and the second reversing gear 309 are each rotatably mounted on pins 321 within the main housing 301, adjacent to the drive wheel 305, such that the teeth of the first reversing gear 307 and the teeth of the second reversing gear 309 are meshed with the teeth of the first rack surface 317 of the drive wheel 305 on a first side of the first reversing gear 307 and the second reversing gear 309.
The reverse actuating member 313 comprises a generally elongate body 322 having a rack surface 323 which provides a plurality of teeth along a lower side 325 of the body 322. The rack surface 323 of the reverse actuating member 313 is not visible in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4 but can be seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, which are described in more detail below with reference to a second embodiment of the invention. An actuating portion 327 projects from an opposite upper side of the body 322 (it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", and other relative terms are used herein to describe features of the invention in the orientation as shown in the figures). The reverse actuating member 313 is slidably mounted within the main housing 301 of the gearbox 3, adjacent the first reversing gear 307 and the second reversing gear 309, on an opposite second side of the reversing gears 307, 309 to the drive wheel 305, such that the teeth of the rack surface 323 mesh with the reversing gears 307, 309, and such that the actuating portion 327 projects out of an upper side of the main housing 301.
Similar to the reverse actuating member 313, the forwards actuating member 311 also comprises a generally elongate body 329 having a rack surface 331 which provides a plurality of teeth along a lower side of the body 329 and an actuating portion 333 which projects from an opposite upper side of the body 329. The forwards actuating member 311 is slidably mounted within the main housing 301 of the gearbox 3 alongside the reverse actuating member 313 such that the teeth of the rack surface 331 of the forwards actuating member 311 mesh directly with the second rack surface 319 of the drive wheel 305 and such that the actuating portion 333 projects out of an upper side of the main housing 301, alongside the actuating portion 327 of the forwards actuating member 311.
The drive wheel 305, first reversing gear 307, second reversing gear 309, forwards actuating member 311, and reverse actuating member 313 are held within the main housing 301 by a cover plate 303 which is fastened to the main housing 301 by rivets 334. The rivets 334 pass through holes 335 formed in the cover plate 303 and engage with respective bosses 337 provided by the main housing 301.
Together, the actuating portion 333 of the forwards actuating member 311 and the actuating portion 327 of the reverse actuating member 313 form a locking surface 340 positioned on an upper side of the body 300 of the gearbox 3. As can be best seen in FIG. 3, the forwards actuating member 311 and the reverse actuating member 313 are configured such that the actuating portions 327, 333 of the reverse actuating member 313 and the forwards actuating member 311 sit side-by-side. However, the actuating portion 327 of the reverse actuating member 313 sits in a plane which is above the plane in which the actuating portion 333 of the forwards actuating member 311 sits.
The gearbox 3 is configured as described above to move the forwards actuating member 311 and the reverse actuating member 313 in mutually opposing directions upon actuation of the gearbox 3. The gearbox 3 is actuated by rotating the drive wheel 305, which causes the second rack surface 319 of the drive wheel 305 to engage with the rack surface 331 of the forwards actuating member 311 to drive the forwards actuating member 311 in a first direction. As the forwards actuating member 311 is moved in a first direction, the reverse actuating member 313 is driven in an opposite direction by the rack surface 323 of the reverse actuating member 313 engaging with the first and second reversing gears 307, 309, which are in turn engaged with and driven by the first rack surface 317 of the drive wheel 305.
A wall 339 which is integrally formed with the main housing 301 projects from the main housing 301 at the upper side of the body 300 of the gearbox 3, in a direction away from the locking surface 340. The wall 339 extends along the entire length of the locking surface, but in other embodiments of the invention may be discontinuous or be formed by separate discrete parts. The wall 339 is formed with a pair of approximately rectangular openings 341 which are spaced apart above the locking surface 340. The wall 339 is also formed with a pair of circular holes 342 which are spaced apart above the locking surface 340, the pair of rectangular openings 341 being positioned between the circular holes 342.
With reference to FIG. 2, the first locking bar 5 comprises an elongate member 501 with an aperture 503 formed in the elongate member 501 towards a first end. As will be described in more detail below, the aperture 503 is configured to receive the actuating portion 333 of the forwards actuating member 311. At the second, opposite end, the elongate member comprises a connecting portion 505 configured to connect with a shoot bolt. The first locking bar 5 comprises a locking bolt 507 of the type that may be also referred to as a "mushroom roller" fastened upon the surface of the elongate member 501 in use.
The second locking bar 7 comprises an elongate member 701 formed with a cut-out 703 in a side edge of the elongate member 701, towards a first end. As will be described in more detail below, the cut-out 703 is configured to receive the actuating portion 327 of the reverse actuating member 313. At the second, opposite end, the elongate member 701 comprises a connecting portion 705 configured to connect with a shoot bolt. The second locking bar 7 comprises a locking bolt 707 of the type that may be referred to in the art as a "mushroom roller" fastened upon the surface of the elongate member 701. Note that, while the locking bolts 507, 707 are shown in the exploded view of FIG. 2 as being fastened to the elongate members 501, 701, the locking bolts 507, 707 would need to be removed from the elongate members 501,701 in order to construct the lock assembly 1.
The locking bar retainer 9 comprises a retaining portion 901 in the form of an elongate plate and two tabs 903 which form a securing portion of the locking bar retainer 9. The tabs 903 extend from an edge of the retaining portion 901 in a plane oriented approximately perpendicularly to a plane defined by the retaining portion 901. Each tab 903 is formed with a hole 905. Two projecting members 907 having an approximately rectangular cross-section project from an edge of a central portion 909 of the retaining plate portion 901, in a plane defined by the central portion 907. The projecting members 907 are positioned on a first side of the retaining portion 901 and the tabs 903 are positioned on an opposite second side of the retaining portion 901. Either side of the central portion 909, the retaining portion 901 is formed with an elongate aperture 911, the elongate apertures 911 extend along a length direction of the retaining portion 901.
Because the gearbox 3 is pre-assembled, the locking assembly 1 according to the presently described embodiment of the invention can be easily constructed by assembling the gearbox 3 together with the first locking bar 5, the second locking bar 7, the locking bar retainer 9, and two cover plates 4. This process is simpler than construction of a locking assembly wherein the gearbox itself is assembled together with the other constituent parts of the locking assembly.
In order to construct the locking assembly 1 as shown in FIG. 1, the first locking bar 5 is arranged upon the locking surface 340 of the gearbox 3 so that the actuating portion 333 of the forwards actuating member 311 sits within the aperture 503 of the first locking bar 5, and so that the elongate member 501 of the first locking bar 5 extends away from the gearbox 3 in a first direction. The second locking bar 7 is then arranged upon the locking surface 340 of the gearbox 3, on top of the first locking bar 5, so that the actuating portion 327 of the reverse actuating member 313 sits within the cut-out 703 of the second locking bar 7, and so that the elongate member 701 of the second locking bar 7 extends away from the gearbox 3 in an opposite second direction to the first locking bar 5. At this point, the locking bolts 507, 707 of the first and second locking bars 5, 7 have not yet been installed on the respective elongate members 501, 501 of the first and second locking bars 5, 7.
The locking bar retainer 9 is then placed upon the second locking bar 7 and the projecting members 907 of the locking bar retainer 9 are inserted into the rectangular openings 341 formed in the wall 339 of the gearbox 3 such that the retaining portion 901 of the locking bar retainer 9 becomes interlocked with the wall 339. However, prior to inserting the projecting members 907 of the locking bar retainer 9 into the wall 339, the two cover plates 4 are installed.
With reference to FIG. 2, each cover plate 4 comprises an elongate plate portion 401 having a T-shaped formation 403 at one end and an elongate aperture 405 extending in a length direction along the elongate plate portion 401. To install the cover plates 4, one side of the T-shaped formation 403 is inserted into one of the circular holes 342 formed in the wall 339 of the gearbox 3 and the other side of the T-shaped formation 403 is positioned behind a retaining lip 913 formed by the retaining portion 901 of the locking bar retainer 9, the retaining lip 913 being positioned proximate the tabs 903 of the locking bar retainer 9. In this configuration, the cover plates 4 can be rested against the retaining portion 901 of the locking bar retainer 9 so that the elongate apertures 405 of the cover plates 4 are aligned with the elongate apertures 911 formed in the retaining portion 901. The locking bolts 507, 707 can then be installed on the respective elongate members 501, 701 of the first and second locking bars 5, 7, with part of the locking bolts 507, 707 passing through the elongate apertures 405, 911 of the cover plates 4 and the locking bar retainer 9.
With the locking bar retainer 9 in place upon the gearbox 3, the locking bar retainer 9 can then be fastened to the gearbox 3 by using fasteners, such as rivets, which pass through the holes 905 in the tabs 903 of the locking bar retainer 9 and engage with bosses 343 formed by the main housing 301 of the gearbox 3. The bosses 343 are situated within recessed portions 345 of the main housing 301 which are configured to receive the tabs 903 of the locking bar retainer 9 so that the tabs 903 sit flush with the cover plate 303 of the gearbox 3 when the locking assembly 1 is fully assembled. The connecting portions 505, 507 of the first and second locking bars 5, 7 may then be connected to shoot bolts prior to installation of the locking assembly 1 upon a door or a window.
With the lock assembly 1 configured as described above the lock assembly can be moved between locked and unlocked configurations by actuation of the gearbox 3 via rotation of the drive wheel 305. For example, a bar or spindle having a square cross-section may be inserted into the square hole 315 of the drive wheel for this purpose, the bar may be connected to a door or window handle. Rotation of the drive wheel 305 causes the forwards actuating member 311 to engage with the first locking bar 5 to move the first locking bar 5 in a first direction and the reverse actuating member 313 to engage with the second locking bar 7 via the reversing gears 307, 309 to move the second locking bar 7 in an opposite second direction. It will be understood that movement of the locking bars 5, 7 in this manner causes the locking bolts 507, 707 to move, as well as the shoot bolts that will be connected to the respective locking bars 5, 7 to extend or retract, depending on the direction of rotation of the drive wheel 305.
The pre-assembled gearbox 3 described above can be advantageously used in other types of lock requiring actuation of locking bars in mutually opposing directions. For example, a locking assembly 50 according to a second embodiment of the invention, which is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, is configured as an espagnolette-type lock and uses the same gearbox 3. In this case, the locking assembly 50 comprises a gearbox 3, an espagnolette assembly 60, and a locking bar retainer 80.
As can be best seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, the espagnolette assembly 60 comprises a first locking bar 601, a second locking bar 603 positioned on top of the first locking bar 601, and a cover plate 605 positioned on top of the second locking bar 603. A central region 607 of the espagnolette assembly, which can be best seen in FIG. 6, is configured engage with the gearbox 5, with portions of the first locking bar 601, second locking bar 603, and cover plate 605 extending away from the central region 607 in both directions. In other embodiments of the invention, the region of the espagnolette assembly configured to engage with the gearbox may not be positioned centrally on the espagnolette assembly but may be positioned closer to one end of the assembly than the other. With reference to FIG. 5, the first locking bar 601 comprises a first locking bolt 615 positioned on a first side of the central region 607 and a second locking bolt 617 positioned on an opposite second side of the central region 607. Similarly, the second locking bar 603 comprises a first locking bolt 619 positioned on the first side of the central region 607 and a second locking bolt 621 positioned on an opposite second side of the central region 607.
In the central region 607, the first locking bar 601 is formed with an aperture 609 that is configured to receive the actuating portion 333 of the forwards actuating member 311 of the gearbox 3 and the second locking bar 603 is formed with a cut-out 611 that is configured to receive the actuating portion 327 of the reverse actuating member 313 of the gearbox 3. Two projecting members 613 project from an edge of the cover plate 605 in the central region 607 of the espagnolette assembly 6, the projecting members projecting in a plane defined by the cover plate 605.
The locking bar retainer 80 comprises retaining portion 801 in the form of an approximately rectangular plate and a securing portion 803 which extends from an edge of the retaining portion 801 in a plane oriented approximately perpendicularly to a plane defined by the retaining portion 801. The securing portion 803 comprises a body 802 formed with two openings 804 which are configured to receive the projecting members 613 of the espagnolette assembly 6. Two tabs 803 extend from an edge of the body 802 in a direction away from the retaining portion 801. Each tab 803 is formed with a hole 805. Two projecting members 807 having an approximately rectangular cross-section project from an edge the retaining portion 801, in a plane defined by the retaining portion 801. The projecting members 807 are positioned on a first side of the retaining portion 801 and the securing portion 803 is positioned on an opposite second side of the retaining portion 801.
In order to construct the locking assembly 50 as shown in FIG. 5, the central region 607 of the espagnolette assembly 60 is arranged upon the locking surface 340 of the gearbox 3 so that the actuating portion 333 of the forwards actuating member 311 sits within the aperture 609 of the first locking bar 601, as can be seen in FIG. 7, and so that the actuating portion 327 of the reverse actuating member 313 sits within the cut-out 611 of the second locking bar 603, as can be seen in FIG. 8. The locking bar retainer 80 is then placed upon the espagnolette assembly 60 and the projecting members 807 of the locking bar retainer 80 are inserted into the rectangular openings 341 formed in the wall 339 of the gearbox 3 such that the retaining portion 801 of the locking bar retainer 80 becomes interlocked with the wall 339. Similarly, the projecting members 613 of the espagnolette assembly 60 are inserted into the openings 804 formed in securing portion 803 of the locking bar retainer 80 such that securing portion 803 of the locking bar retainer 80 becomes interlocked with the espagnolette assembly 60.
With the locking bar retainer 80 in place upon the gearbox 3, the locking bar retainer 80 can then be fastened to the gearbox 3 by using fasteners, such as rivets, which pass through the holes 805 in the tabs 803 of the locking bar retainer 80 and engage with the bosses 343 of the main housing 301 of the gearbox 3.
Similar to the lock assembly of the first embodiment of the invention, the lock assembly 50 according to the second embodiment of the invention can be moved between locked and unlocked configurations by actuation of the gearbox 3 via rotation of the drive wheel 305. With reference in particular to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, rotation of the drive wheel 305 causes the forwards actuating member 311 to engage with the first locking bar 601 to move the first locking bar 601 in a first direction and the reverse actuating member 313 to engage with the second locking bar 603 via the reversing gears 307, 309 to move the second locking bar 603 in an opposite second direction. It will be understood that movement of the locking bars 601, 603 in this manner causes the first locking bar 601 and second locking bar 603 to move the bolts 615, 617, 619, 621 situated on either side of the gearbox 5 such that the bolts 615, 617 of the first locking bar 601 move in an opposite direction to the bolts 619, 621 of the second locking bar 603.
Embodiments of the invention may comprise a pre-assembled gearbox which is configured to be assembled with two or more locking bars that are held upon a locking surface of the gearbox in use by a locking bar retainer. Whilst the present invention has been described above and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein. By way of example only, certain possible variations will now be described.
While the gearbox 5 described above comprises a wall configured to interlock with a locking bar retainer, embodiments of the invention may not comprise such a wall. For example, in the absence of a wall, the gearbox may be configured such that that the locking bar retainer fastens to the gearbox on both sides of the gearbox. It is also within the scope of the invention for the gearbox to be provided in different sizes and back sets (one measure of the back set being the distance between the locking surface of the gearbox and the hole provided in the gearbox drive wheel).
The advantage of the pre-assembled gearbox is that it can be assembled in any type of locking assembly requiring actuation of locking bars in mutually opposing directions. Embodiments of the invention therefore include many different types of door or window locking assembly, and are not limited only to shoot bolt assemblies and espagnolette assemblies of the type described herein.
Where in the foregoing description, integers or elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.

Claims

A door or window locking assembly comprising a gearbox, a first locking bar, a second locking bar, and a locking bar retainer, wherein
the gearbox comprises a body and a locking surface positioned on a side of the body, the locking surface comprising a first actuating member and a second actuating member,

the gearbox is configured to move the first actuating member and the second actuating member in mutually opposing directions upon actuation of the gearbox;

the first locking bar and second locking bar are arranged upon the locking surface of the gearbox such that, upon actuation of the gearbox, the first actuating member engages with the first locking bar to move the first locking bar in a first direction and the second actuating member engages with the second locking bar to move the second locking bar in an opposite second direction;

the locking bar retainer comprises a retaining portion and a securing portion; the first locking bar and the second locking bar are positioned between the body of the gearbox and the retaining portion of the locking bar retainer; and

the securing portion of the locking bar retainer is secured to the body of the gearbox such that the first locking bar and second locking bar are held in place upon the locking surface of the gearbox by the locking bar retainer.
The locking assembly of claim 1, wherein the body of the gearbox comprises a wall extending along a direction substantially parallel with the direction in which the first or second actuating members are configured to move, and a first edge of the retaining portion of the locking bar retainer is interlocked with the wall.
The locking assembly of claim 2, wherein the body of the gear box comprises a housing and the wall extends from the housing in a direction away from the locking surface.
The locking assembly of claim 3, wherein the wall extends from the housing on a first side of the gearbox and the securing portion of the locking bar retainer is fastened to the body on an opposite second side of the gearbox.
The locking assembly of any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the first edge of the retaining portion comprises one or more projecting members that extend into corresponding openings formed in the wall to interlock the first edge of the securing portion with the wall.
The locking assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the body of the gearbox is formed with a recess and at least part of the securing portion of the locking bar retainer is received in the recess.
The locking assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the body of the gearbox comprises an outer surface and at least part of the securing portion of the locking bar retainer is flush with the outer surface or is within a boundary of the gearbox which is defined by the outer surface.
The locking assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the retaining portion of the locking bar retainer is oriented substantially perpendicularly to the securing portion.
The locking assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the locking bar retainer is fastened to the gearbox via fasteners that pass through the securing portion and engage with the body of the gearbox.
A gearbox for a locking assembly, the gearbox comprising a body and a locking surface positioned on the body, wherein
the locking surface comprises a first actuating member and a second actuating member,

the gearbox is configured to move the first actuating member and the second actuating member in mutually opposing directions upon actuation of the gearbox; and

the body comprises a wall having formations configured to interlock with a locking bar retainer.
The gearbox of claim 10, wherein the wall extends from a main part of the body, proximate the locking surface, in a direction away from the locking surface and substantially parallel with the direction in which the first or second actuating members are configured to move.
The gearbox of claim 10 or 11, wherein the formations are openings which are configured to receive part of a retaining portion of a locking bar retainer.
The gearbox of any of claims 10 to 12, wherein the body of the gearbox is provided with one or more openings configured to receive fasteners for fastening a locking bar retainer to the gearbox.
The gearbox of any of claims 10 to 13, wherein the body of the gearbox is formed with a recess configured to receive at least part of a securing portion of a locking bar retainer.
A kit of parts comprising a gearbox and a locking bar retainer suitable for use as the gearbox and locking bar retainer of any of claims 1 to 9.