ES2216658B1 - A LOCK OPERATED WITH COINS. - Google Patents

Abstract

A coin operated lock, characterized in that in relation to the coin (103), the internal space of the lock box (1) is defined, laterally, between a closing lever (3) and against a closing lever (4) horizontally sliders and, peripherally, by means of opposite sides (31 and 71) of the lever (3) and a support (7) integral. of the counter lever (4), as well as by means of a pivot (5) which is located in a convenient place in the lower quadrant of the coin (103) located posteriorly with respect to the horizontal closing movement of the lever (3), whose counter lever (4) is coupled to the rotation of the actuator eccentric (101) provided in the cylinder (100) and, with respect to said lever (3), this counter lever (4) has a longitudinal sliding feed assembly against the antagonist spring (104) ), whose supplement (7) has means of selective fixing to the counter lever (4), the pivot (5) is selectively installed in one of multiple fittings (61) existing in a strip (6) parallel to the horizontal operating displacement of the lever (3).

Description

A coin operated lock.

Field of the Invention

This invention concerns a lock, coin operated, or lock-purse, of the type that is used for luggage storage lockers or objects and that, to enable the closing maneuver that allows remove the key from its corresponding combination cylinder, requires the presence of a currency that is introduced by a slot of the lock box to be accommodated in a space internal of it.

Prior art

In this field locks are known in which the closing maneuver implies a rotary translation of the currency  inserted; what supposes a great complexity in the configuration individual parts, as well as their number, assembly and functional interaction

Locks are also known in which the closing maneuver occurs with horizontal translation of the currency; through a simpler constitution than the previous one, but that lacks adaptability to various types of currencies by simple and economic means.

As a whole, considering both of these solutions outlined, it turns out that known purse locks suffer from various problems and inconveniences in the constructive and functional planes; Below are some of the most significant.

One such inconvenience is that the locks left hand and right hand are different and cannot be turned into one another. The hand change requires a lock new of the appropriate hand, being null or very reduced the percentage of parts that are both valid for the mechanisms of both hands.

Known designs are so conditioned to the physical characteristics of each currency that can only be used by her. This means that the prepared locks currently to operate with a coin of 100 Pesetas cannot be used with 1 Euro coins, which have a small difference in diameter with the previous ones. In other words, in the locks prepared for 100 Pesetas it is necessary to replace pieces to be adapted for use with 1 Euro.

The current mechanisms are complex until point that, in case of failure, the repair and replacement of pieces must be made by specialized personnel. And in the case of the locks prepared for the currency exchange, the complexity of the mechanism requires preparation that is not at scope of maintenance staff of the facility in which they find the lockers equipped with these locks (for example supermarkets, airports, industries, etc.).

There is also complexity in the configuration of the pieces themselves, which makes it difficult to achieve tolerances desired in many of the components. Note that I don't know It is a high-tech product, while its operation must be reliable and durable, and its price the most possible economic, given its destiny.

Another drawback is the excessive facilities of the locks known to be operated.
fraudulently.

Explanation of the invention and advantages

Faced with this state of affairs the lock-purse now proposed responds to a peculiar constitution that is characterized because, in relation to the currency, the internal space of the lock box in which it is deposited to enable the closing maneuver, it is defined, laterally, between closing lever and counter lever horizontally and peripherally sliding closure, by each faced vertical edges of the lever and a joint support of the counter lever, as well as by a pivot that is located in a convenient place in the lower quadrant of the coin located behind the horizontal displacement of lever closing, whose counter lever is coupled to the rotation of the eccentric actuator provided in said cylinder and, with respect to said lever, this against lever has a longitudinal slide assembly of advance in against an antagonistic spring, whose supplement has means of selective fixing to the counter lever, and whose pivot is installed selectively in one of multiple existing lace in a parallel to the horizontal operating displacement of the lever.

The initial internal hold of the coin has place between three points of tangency with the vertical edges (of lever and counter lever) and with the pivot, which enables establishment of a slack that, without harming in the least the correct operation allows the lock-purse can be operated by two coins that have a small difference in diameter; as, for example, occurs with the coins of 100 Pesetas and 1 Euro. An important obvious advantage of this is that when you have place the official legal currency exchange, a lock-purse according to the invention will be equally valid without any adaptation. Another advantage it is not necessary a great precision in the execution of the pieces, which translates into a cheaper manufacturing.

On the other hand, the advocated lock-purse employs a reduced number of parts that are of simple configuration making easy Obtain the calculated tolerances for proper operation. In addition, it allows the repair, adjustment and maintenance to be realizable by unskilled labor.

The recommended lock-purse incorporates a very simple device to adapt to coins of different diameters, beyond the small variations commented (100 pesetas-1 euro, for example). Enough with changing the place of selective mooring of the supplement to the counter lever and with installing the pivot in another of the fittings possible of the strip, all this in coordination. This adaptation it can be done without any special qualification in any way simple and fast.

According to another feature of the invention, there is a sheet that is attached by the inner face of said coin insertion slot, whose sheet has a perforation that is twin of said groove and that has means of selectively variable mounting with respect to the direction longitudinal of this groove. This device allows you to adapt the effective passage through the slot of the lock case in function of the currency intended to be used; the maximum step will be the nominal of the slot itself (on its outer side) and can be effectively reduced by modifying the relative position of the sheet on the inside of this slot.

Another feature of the invention consists in that there is a vertical hatch that extends between the face front of the counter-lever and the lower side of the coin entry slot, whose vertical hatch has an elastic tilt mount around a horizontal axis that is arranged inferiorly with respect to helical springs compression mounted transversely and dorsally to the own vertical hatch and that propel it to a resting position in the that its front face is attached to the lock lid and its face posterior is flush with the anterior longitudinal edge of said slot, while at its bottom edge, this trapdoor vertical forms a lip that at its most rear end, with respect to the lever closing movement, this lip is next to the foot of a ramp that ascends frontally towards the top of lock until culminating in a step that, with the back of the lid lock, keep a distance adjusted by excess to the thickness of said lip. This device achieves that, when the lever is released, it produce the swinging of the trapdoor making its edge top is occluding the slot of entry of new currencies, what which provides functional reliability by preventing its obstruction or  introduction of any object with the intention of violating the lock-purse.

Another very important feature of the invention is that said lock box has a distribution internally vertically symmetric under which they are defined two side holes of the closing lever facing each other, two guides for an antagonistic spring of the advance of the counter lever, several recesses on each side of the slot, two housings for an elastically vertical dam retractable, and two locations of the strip; to own time said lever, counter lever and supplement have symmetry with respect to its longitudinal median plane. According to all this, it is very easy to change the hand (left / right) of the lock-purse quickly and without special Qualification: simply reverse the assembly of the front lever and counter lever, change to a symmetrical situation the strip with the pivot and the plate attached to the entrance groove of coin, install the counter lever counter spring on the symmetric guide, and change the retractable sentence to position operative in its symmetric housing; the side hole of unused lever outlet will be plugged from inside of The lock box.

This lock-purse only it can be acted upon by a currency and its fraudulent performance is practically impossible.

For cases where regulation is not interested for various currency diameters, an execution is planned simplified and cheaper in which the supplement of the Counter lever is fully integrated with it.

Drawings and references

To better understand the nature of the present invention, in the attached drawings we represent some forms preferred industrial realization, which have the character of  merely illustrative and not limiting example.

Figure 1 is an exploded view in perspective of a lock-purse according to the invention.

Figure 2 is an orthogonal projection view which shows the lock in figure 1, once the lock cover (2) and the counter lever (4) are removed and incorporated a sectioned part of the supplement (7) to see the vertical edge (71) of it.

Figure 3 is an enlargement of detail III indicated in figure 2.

Figures 4 to 6 are views equivalent to the upper part of figure 2, once the supplement (7) has been placed, and sequentially illustrate the closing maneuver.

Figure 7 is equivalent to Figures 4 to 6 e illustrates a moment of the opening maneuver in which the coin (103) falls for recovery by the user.

Figure 8 is like Figures 4 to 7, but referred to the attempt to open without the presence of the currency (103).

Figures 9 to 11 illustrate different positions sheet metal alternatives (8).

Figure 12 illustrates the positional regulation of  supplement (7), compared to figure 4.

Figure 13 illustrates positional regulation assigned to the pivot (5), compared to figure 2.

Figure 14 is an enlargement of detail XIV indicated in figure 4.

Figure 15 is an enlargement of detail XV indicated in figure 6.

In these figures the references are indicated following:

one.-

Box lock

2.-

Top lock

3.-

Closing lever

4.-

Closing lever

5.-

Pivot

6.-

Strip

7.-

Counter Lever Supplement (4)

8.-

Lock

9.-

Tilt vertical hatch

eleven.-

Box slot (1) for insertion of coin (103)

12.-

Side box holes (one)

13.-

Guides for antagonist spring (104)

14.-

Boxed for bending (82)

fifteen.-

Accommodation for vertical conviction retractable (105)

16.-

Shaft Bearings (91)

31.-

Vertical lever edge (3)

32.-

Lever Ramps (3)

33.-

Lever Steps (3)

41.-

Counter lever window (4)

42.-

Vertical counter lever gear (4)

61.-

Strip Lace (6)

71.-

Vertical edge of supplement (7)

72.-

Longitudinal supplement opening (7)

73.-

Supplement Mooring Screw (7)

74.-

Vertical serration of supplement (7)

81.-

Sheet metal drilling (8)

82.-

Extreme bending of sheet metal (8)

91.-

Axis hatch tilt (9)

92.-

Helical compression springs for trapdoor (9)

93.-

Lower trapdoor (9)

100.-

Combination cylinder

101.-

Eccentric

102.-

Bolt

103.-

Currency

104.-

Antagonist spring for counter lever (4)

105.-

Vertical Retractable Condemnation

Exhibition of a preferred embodiment

Regarding the drawings and references above listed, an execution mode is illustrated in the accompanying drawings preferred of a lock-coin purse of the type of lock used for luggage storage lockers or objects and, to enable the closing maneuver that allows to extract the key of its corresponding combination cylinder (100), requires the presence of a coin (103) that is introduced by a slot (11) of the lock box (1) to be accommodated in an internal space of it.

A feature of the invention consists in that, in relation to currency (103), said internal space of the lock box (1) is defined, laterally, between (figure 1) closing levers (3) and closing lever (4) horizontally sliding and, peripherally, by means of two facing vertical edges (31 and 71) of the lever (3) and of a Supplement (7) solidarity of the counter lever (4), as well as by a pivot (5) that is located in a convenient place of the lower quadrant of the coin (103) located behind of the horizontal closing movement of the lever (3), whose against lever (4) is coupled to the rotation of the eccentric (101) actuator provided in said cylinder (100) and, with respect to said lever (3), this counter lever (4) has a sliding mount longitudinal advance against an antagonistic spring (104), whose supplement (7) has means of selective fixation against lever (4), and whose pivot (5) is selectively installed in one of multiple fittings (61) existing in a strip (6) parallel to the horizontal operating displacement of the lever (3). Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the way in which the coin (103) inserted to start the closing maneuver is located between two points of tangency with the vertical edges (31) and (71) and with the pivot (5); this allows to use the coin-lock with coins (103) that have small differences in diameter without adaptation some, as illustrated in figure 3.

The operation is simple and reliable. One time located the coin (103), when turning the key (figure 4) the bolt (102) of the eccentric (101) of the cylinder (100) drives on the window (41) of the counter lever (4) so that it, through the supplement (7), make the vertical edge (71) push the coin (103) which, in turn, pushes the vertical edge (31) of the lever (3), moving it (figure 5) until the end of its path (figure 6), at which time the wash can already be removed; in this maneuver there is a moment (figure 5) in which the profile itself Lower lever (3) strikes the protruding part of the conviction (105) by retracting her in her accommodation (15) against her elastic drive element (figure 2); the displacement of the counter lever (4) is produced against the antagonist spring (104) mounted on the guide (13) of the lock box (1). In the case of there is no coin presence (103) the counter lever (4) does not reach drag the lever (3) bumps against the sentence (105) and you cannot open, as illustrated in figure 8. In the maneuver of opening there is a dimensional game in which the counter lever (4) back off somewhat without dragging the lever (3), which allows release the coin (103) so that (figure 7) falls on its own weight.

As seen in the figures, the means of selective longitudinal fixation of the supplement (7) against lever (4) consist of the supplement (7) having an opening longitudinal (72) through which it passes through a screw (73) that screw on the counter lever (4). For the selected position be firmly fixed, the surfaces of such counter lever (4) and supplement (7) that come into mutual contact in relation to said screw (73), are equipped with respective and reciprocating teeth (42 and 74) directed transversally to the operational displacement of said counter lever (4). In line (figure 13) with the regulation of the supplement (7) the position of the pivot can be varied (5) in the fittings (61) of the strip (6).

To regulate the effective passage of the groove (11) of the lock box (1) depending on the size of the coin (103), there is a sheet (8) that is attached by the inner face of said coin insertion slot (11) (103), whose plate (8) has a perforation (81) that is twin of said groove (11) and which has selectively variable mounting means with respect to the longitudinal direction of this slot (11); said means of selective mounting of the sheet (8) with respect to the groove (11) they consist in that this sheet (8) has an end fold (17) which is reciprocal of one of multiple recesses (14) of the lock box (1) that are located at various distances from said slot (11) and that are open on its upper side and on its front side or closest to the lock cover (2). Figures 9 to 11 illustrate the three possible positions of the sheet (8) by one of the ends of said slot (11); reversing the sheet (8) in front backwards, the cajeados (14) located by the other end of the slot (11).

According to another feature of the invention, there is a vertical hatch (9) that extends between the front face of the counter lever (4) and the lower side of the coin entry slot (11) (103), whose vertical hatch (9) has an elastic tilt mount around a horizontal axis (91) that is arranged inferiorly with respect to helical compression springs (92) mounted transversely and dorsally to the trapdoor itself vertical (9) and that propel it to a resting position in which its front face is attached to the lock cover (2) and its face posterior is flush with the anterior longitudinal edge of said slot (11), while at its lower edge, this vertical hatch (9) forms a lip (93) that at its most rear, with respect to the lever closing movement (3), this lip (93) is next to the foot of a ramp (32) that ascends frontally towards the lock cover (2) until culminating in a step (33) that, with the back of the lock cover (2), keeps a distance adjusted in excess of the thickness of said lip (93). In correspondence with figures 4 and 6, the extensions of the Figures 14 and 15 clearly show the unbalanced positions and tilted, against its springs (92), of the trapdoor (9), according to the lever (3) is in its initial position (figure 14) or end (figure 15) of the closing maneuver.

In the light of the above and represented until Now, the great simplicity with which it can be changed becomes evident the hand of this lock-purse without needing new parts, but only by inverting the position or location of the already existing. Thus, the set will have to turn from front to back lever (3) and counter lever (4), after changing the strip (6) to its symmetrical position in the lock box (1) and the location of the pivot (5) in the convenient socket (61); there will also be turn the sheet (8) by placing it in the symmetrical recess (14) convenient; the spring (104) must be installed in the guide (13) symmetric; and the sentence (105) must be installed in the accommodation (15) symmetrical, turning it 180º.

Claims (8)

1. A coin operated lock, of the type of lock used for lockers of luggage or objects and that, to enable the closing maneuver that allows to extract the key from its corresponding combination cylinder (100), requires the presence of a coin (103) that is introduced by a slot (11) of the lock box (1) to be accommodated in an internal space thereof, characterized in that, in relation to the coin (103), said internal space of the lock box (1) is defined, laterally, between a closing lever (3) and a closing lever (4) horizontally sliding and, peripherally, by means of opposite sides (31 and 71) of the lever (3) and of a supplement (7) integral with the counter lever (4), as well as by means of a pivot (5) that is located in a convenient place in the lower quadrant of the coin (103) located posteriorly with respect to the horizontal closing movement of the lever (3), whose counter lever (4) is coupled to the rotation of the actuator eccentric (101) provided in said cylinder (100) and, with respect to said lever (3), this counter lever (4) has a longitudinal sliding assembly for advancing against an antagonist spring (104), whose supplement (7) has means of selective fixing to the counter lever (4), and said means of selective longitudinal fixing of the supplement (7) to the counter lever (4) consist of that the supplement (7) has a longitudinal opening (72) through which it passes through a screw (73) that screws into the counter lever (4). 2. A coin operated lock, according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the surfaces of such counter lever (4) and supplement (7) that come into mutual contact with respect to said screw (73), are provided with respective and reciprocal teeth (42 and 74) directed transversely to the operating displacement of said counter lever (4). 3. A coin operated lock, according to the second claim, characterized in that there is a sheet (8) which is attached by the inner face of said coin insertion slot (11), whose sheet (8) it has a perforation (81) that is twin of said slot (11) and that has selectively variable mounting means with respect to the longitudinal direction of this slot (11). 4. A coin operated lock according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said selective mounting means of the sheet (8) with respect to the slot (11) consist in that this sheet (8) has an end fold (17) which is reciprocal of one of multiple recesses (14) of the lock box (1) that are located at various distances from said slot (11) and that are open on its upper side and on its front side or closer to the lid lock (2). 5. A coin operated lock according to claim four, characterized in that there is a vertical hatch (9) that extends between the front face of the counter lever (4) and the lower side of the inlet slot (11) of the coin (103), whose vertical hatch (9) has an elastic tilt mount around a horizontal axis (91) which is arranged inferiorly with respect to helical compression springs (92) mounted transversely and dorsally to the vertical hatch itself (9 ) and that they push it to a resting position in which its front face is attached to the lock cover (2) and its rear face is flush with the anterior longitudinal edge of said groove (11), while, in its lower edge, this vertical hatch (9) forms a lip (93) that at its most rear end, with respect to the closing movement of the lever (3), this lip (93) is next to the foot of a ramp (32) that ascends frontally towards him a lock cover (2) until culminating in a step (33) which, with the back of the lock cover (2), keeps a distance adjusted in excess of the thickness of said lip (93). 6. A coin operated lock according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said lock box (1) has a vertically symmetrical internal distribution by virtue of which two outlet side holes (12) of the closing lever are defined (3) facing each other, two guides (13) for an antagonistic spring (104) of the advance of the counter lever (4), several recesses (14) on each side of the slot (11), two housings (15) for a conviction vertically (105) elastically retractable, and two locations of the strip (6). 7. A coin operated lock according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said lever (3), counter lever (4) and supplement (7) have symmetry with respect to its longitudinal median plane. 8. A coin operated lock, according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said supplement (7) is provided to be integrally integrated with said counter lever (4).