ES2846177T3 - Spring latch for locks - Google Patents

Abstract

Spring latch (10) for locks, comprising a metal part (11) and at least one part (12) made of plastic material, in which - said metal part (11) forms a central part of said spring latch , - there are two parts (12, 13) made of plastic material, an upper part (12) and a lower part (13), with respect to a configuration for use, - said upper part (12) and said lower part ( 13) protrude outward, with respective external surfaces (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19), with respect to corresponding external surfaces (20, 21, 22, 23) of said central metal part (11), and - said upper part (12) and said lower part (13) are contoured so as to completely affect said respective upper external surface (22) and lower surface (23) of the metal part (11), said upper part (12 ) and said lower part (13) are provided with respective guide ribs (25, 26), which are extended in the translation direction of said spring latch (10), and being grooves (50) with dovetail cross section formed on said central metal part (11) for mutual fixing of the upper and lower parts (12, 13) to the central metal part (11).

Description

DESCRIPTION

Spring latch for locks

The present invention relates to a spring latch for locks.

The term "spring latch" is used to refer to a bolt of a lock that ends with a beveled head, which is held in the normal position, outside the recess of a door or window leaf, by means of a pusher spring; when the sash is closed after being open, the spring latch is retracted by actuation of an associated handle or, during the sash closing turn, encounters an edge of a fixed frame of the same door or window to the one that belongs to the leaf and retracts inside the leaf to then advance, thanks to the push of the spring, and enter an adapted coupling seat that is formed in the fixed frame when the leaf reaches its configuration to close the door or window.

The most popular spring latches are made entirely of metal material, so that they are more resistant to impacts and more difficult to break in the event of a burglary attempt.

However, these spring latches made of metallic material have disadvantages.

In fact, a spring latch is normally arranged to slide in contact with the edges of a complementary shaped opening, which is made in a metal plate which, at the same time, closes the body of the lock towards the outside and allows its fastening to a leaf.

Furthermore, the spring latch is required to slide in contact with the edges of a second complementary shaped opening provided in a strike plate, also metallic, which is arranged on the fixed frame so as to surround the coupling seat.

Sliding of the spring latch on the edges of the corresponding openings in the plate and strike plate can cause a jamming of the spring latch due to friction between the metal of the plate and the metal of the spring latch, with the consequence that the retraction / exit movement of the spring latch is hardly fluid and with the risk that it may compromise the correct operation of the lock. In this way, an undesirable situation can occur in which the spring latch does not carry out the entire stroke in one direction or in the opposite direction, stopping in an intermediate position that, in some case, does not ensure optimal closure. or, vice versa, it can prevent the correct opening of the sash.

To avoid this problem, spring latches made of metal with a single or double central insert made of plastic material are known.

A spring latch with a central insert, or multiple central inserts made of plastic material, has only one advantage in sliding relative to the vertical outer edge of the strike plate with which the lateral face of the spring latch contacts during closing of the bolt. the leaf and also in the opening stage, when the spring latch is pushed back and, when retracted, must slide out of the opening of the strike plate. These spring latches with plastic center inserts do not prevent friction of the spring latch at the edges of the opening in the plate, where slippage can be compromised.

Document DE202009001896U discloses a spring latch with one metal part and two parts made of plastic material.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a spring latch for locks which is capable of obviating the aforementioned limitations of spring latches of the known type.

Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a spring latch that limits friction between the spring latch and the plate and between the spring latch and the strike plate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spring latch that is less susceptible to jamming.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spring latch that can be easily installed even in locks of a known type.

This purpose, as well as these and other objectives that will become more clearly apparent below, are achieved by a spring latch for locks according to claim 1.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the spring latch for locks according to invention, which is illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a spring latch according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view indicated by the line II-II in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front view of the spring latch according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a view of the spring latch according to the invention in the same side view of Figure 1 in a different operating configuration;

Figures 5 and 6 are each the same sectional view of Figure 2 with the spring latch according to the invention in two different operating configurations;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a spring latch according to the invention;

Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of the spring latch according to the invention;

Figure 9 is another exploded perspective view of the spring latch according to the invention.

With reference to the cited figures, a spring latch for locks according to an embodiment of the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10.

The spring latch 10 comprises a metal part 11 and two parts made of plastic material 12 and 13. The metal part 11, which has a wedge shape, forms the central part of the spring latch 10. The two parts made of plastic material 12 and 13 are respectively an upper part 12 and a lower part 13 with respect to a configuration for use.

The upper part 12 and the lower part 13 project outwards, with the respective external surfaces 14, 15, 16 for the upper part 12 and 17, 18, 19 for the lower part 13, with respect to the external surfaces 20, 21, 22, 23 corresponding to the central metal part 11.

The upper part 12 and the lower part 13 are shaped to fully affect the respective upper surface 22 and lower surface 23 of the metal part 11.

In the figures, the reference number 30 designates an outer plate of a generic body of a lock 32, the reference number 31 designates a complementary shaped opening for the exit of the spring latch 10 of the lock, the reference number 33 designates a strike plate attached to a door or window frame, reference numeral 34 correspondingly designates a complementary shaped aperture in strike plate 33 and reference numeral 35 designates the movement bar supporting the bolt latch. spring 10 with pusher spring 36.

In this way, the spring latch 10 according to the invention is in contact with the edges 38 and 39 of the opening 31 in the metal plate 30, in particular in the regions shown in broken lines in figure 3, with its part upper part 12 and its lower part 13 made of plastic material; in these contact regions, the sliding is better than that which takes place with a spring latch made entirely of metal material and there are no excessive friction phenomena with the risk of jamming and, however, the retraction and advance movements of the latch spring 10 are fluid, continuous and precise.

Advantageously, the upper part 12 and the lower part 13 are provided with respective guide ribs 25, 26, which extend in the direction of the translational movement of the spring latch 10; the ribs 25 and 26 are adapted to determine the correct positioning and the correct translational movement of the spring latch 10, being arranged to slide in corresponding recesses 37 formed in the edges of the opening 31 of the plate 30.

The distance 27 in a Y direction that is perpendicular to the outer side surface, for example, the side surface 21 of the metal part 11, between the outer side surface 21 of the metal part 11 and the outer side surface, for example, the The outer side surface 15 of the upper part 12 and the lower part 13 is between 0.1 millimeter and 1 millimeter.

The metal part 11 and the upper part 12 and the lower part 13, made of plastic material, are joined by molding them together in the metal part 11.

Mutual fixation is ensured by grooves 50 with a dovetail cross section that are formed in the central metal part 11, into which the plastic material penetrates during molding.

Alternatively, the upper and lower parts 12 and 13 made of plastic material can be provided separately and then they can be assembled to the metal part 11 by interlocking.

The upper part 12 and the lower part 13 are preferably made of nylon or acetal resin.

Spring latch 10 may be attached to movement bar 35, for example, by a threaded connection, as in Figure 2.

Figure 5 shows that the outer lateral surface 15 of the upper part 12, as well as, therefore, the outer lateral surface 18 of the lower part 13 come into contact with an outer edge 40 of the strike plate 33 and there is no contact. between the metal part 11 and the outer edge, ensuring a regular sliding and fluid movement without friction or jamming.

Likewise, in figure 6 the contact between the outer lateral surface 14 of the upper part 12 and also, therefore, the outer lateral surface 17 of the lower part 13, with an inner edge 41 of the through opening 34 of the strike plate 33, with the same advantages as previously described.

In practice, it has been found that the invention achieves the intended aim and objects.

In particular, the invention provides a spring latch in which the plastic parts are slightly larger than the metal part, so as to ensure that only the plastic comes into contact with the other elements.

In this way, a double advantage is achieved: the sliding is improved both with respect to the front plate, which guides the spring latch during retraction / exit movements, and with respect to the strike plate during the closing of the sash. , when the inclined portion of the spring latch strikes an outer edge of the strike plate and, during opening of the sash, when the spring latch retracts and by retraction it must slide out of the opening in the strike plate.

The spring latch according to the invention can be applied to fire doors, since the central metal part can be made of sintered steel in order to resist fire.

For aesthetic reasons, the central metal part can also be made of stainless steel (or other metals). The invention provides a spring latch that reduces noise at the moment of impact between the spring latch and the strike plate during sash closing.

Furthermore, the invention provides a spring latch which, thanks to its metal central part, ensures protection in the event of theft equal to that of fully metal spring latches of the known type.

In general, the invention provides a spring latch that limits friction between the spring latch and the plate and between the spring latch and the strike plate.

In addition, the invention provides a spring latch that is less susceptible to friction, jamming, and binding.

Likewise, the invention provides a spring latch that can be easily installed even in locks of the known type.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.

In practice, the components and materials used, as long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, can be any in accordance with the requirements and with the state of the art.

When the technical characteristics mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, said reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and, therefore, said reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by them.

Claims (2)

1. Spring latch (10) for locks, comprising a metal part (11) and at least one part (12) made of plastic material, in which - said metal part (11) forms a central part of said spring latch, - two parts (12, 13) made of plastic material are provided, an upper part (12) and a lower part (13), with respect to a configuration for use, - said upper part (12) and said lower part (13) project outwards, with respective external surfaces (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19), with respect to corresponding external surfaces (20, 21, 22 , 23) of said central metal part (11), and - said upper part (12) and said lower part (13) are contoured so as to completely affect said respective upper external surface (22) and lower surface (23) of the metal part (11), said upper part (12) and said lower part (13) are provided with respective guide ribs (25, 26), which are extended in the translation direction of said spring latch (10), and grooves (50 ) with a dovetail cross section formed on said central metal part (11) for mutual fixing of the upper and lower parts (12, 13) to the central metal part (11). Spring latch according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance (27) in a direction (Y) that is perpendicular to the outer lateral surface (20, 21) of the metal part (11) between said outer lateral surface ( 20, 21) of the metal part (11) and the external lateral surface (14, 15, 17, 18) of the upper part (12) and the lower part (13) is between 0.1 millimeters and 1 millimeter.