Field of the invention
The disclosure relates to a body structure capable of being attached to a surface of 5 an external object. The body structure can be, for example but not necessarily, a lock-body capable of being attached with fastening screws to a door or another object to be locked.
Background
In many cases there is a need to fasten a body structure to a surface of an external object. The body structure can be for example a lock-body that has to be attached with fastening screws to a door or to another object to be locked. It is also possible that the body structure is a part of a device, e.g. a control unit or similar, which has to be attached to a wall of a house or another object. In many cases and especially in lock applications, a body structure comprises plate elements which are supported with respect to each other so that the plate elements are parallel with each other and a distance apart from each other. Functional elements of the device comprising the body structure are typically located in the room between the above-mentioned plate elements. The plate elements can be mechanically supported with respect to each other for example with spacers between the plate elements and with screws attaching the plate elements to the spacers. It is also possible that there is another arrangement for mechanically supporting the plate elements with respect to each other. For example, one or both of the plate elements can be bent or otherwise shaped to constitute rim sections or similar for mechanically supporting the plate elements with respect to each other.
RU 2315162 C1 discloses a body structure comprising plate elements each comprising one or more fastening through-holes, the plate elements being mechanically supported with respect to each other, and the one or more fastening through-holes of a first one of the plate elements are aligned with the one or more fastening through-holes of a second one of the plate elements. The body structure
20165859 prh 29 -03- 2018 further comprises at least one bushing having a tubular section and a bottom section at a first end of the tubular section.
EP 0771918 A2 discloses a safety lock device for doors of dwellings and the like, comprising a cylinder lock for driving its bolt. To one side of the body of the cylinder lock there is screwed a screw having a portion projecting laterally of the body, which is received within a cavity of the casing of the device, in which it is secured by means of a stud projecting from a stop plate which is screwed to the casing.
US 5207544 A discloses a fastener assembly for securing a first panel member to a second panel member in a spaced-apart relationship. The fastener comprises a tubular shank portion having first and second end portions, a cavity being formed in the shank portion. A first spring member is secured on the outside of the shank portion and has openings near the first end of the shank portion to enable steel ball members to protrude therefrom. Inside the shank portion cavity is a stepped pin member that is spring loaded and held in place by a combination of the shank portion spring ball retention feature and step angles formed on the pin member.
Especially in conjunction with lock applications, it would be advantageous if a same body structure can be used irrespectively of the handedness of a door or another object to be locked. Thus, the body structure and its fastening arrangement should allow the body structure to be installed so that a first one of the plate elements of the body structure is against an external object to which the body structure is attached and also the other way around so that the second one of the plate elements is against the external object.
Summary
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of various invention embodiments. The summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention nor to delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description of exemplifying embodiments of the invention.
20165859 prh 29 -03- 2018
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a new body structure that can be, for example but not necessarily, a lock-body. A body structure according to the invention comprises:
- plate elements each comprising one or more fastening through-holes, the plate elements being mechanically supported with respect to each other so that the plate elements are parallel with each other and a distance apart from each other, and the one or more fastening through-holes of a first one of the plate elements are aligned with the one or more fastening through-holes of a second one of the plate elements, and
- one or more bushings each having a tubular section and a bottom section at a first end of the tubular section, wherein:
- a second end of the tubular section of each bushing comprises a widening for preventing the second end from being pushed through the fastening through-holes of the plate elements,
- a portion of the bushing constituted by the bottom section and a part of the tubular section between the bottom section and the widening is capable of being pushed through the fastening through-holes of the plate elements, and
- the bottom section of each bushing comprises a through-hole smaller than an inner diameter of the tubular section, the bushing being suitable for a fastening screw so that the head of the fastening screw is inside the tubular section and the shank of the fastening screw protrudes through the throughhole of the bottom section.
The body structure can be attached to an external object with one or more fastening 25 screws so that the one or more bushings are in the fastening through-holes of the plate elements, the heads of the fastening screws are inside the bushings, and the shanks of the fastening screws protrude through the through-holes of the bottom sections of the bushings to the external object. The one or more bushings can be in the fastening through-holes so that the widening of each bushing is in contact with
20165859 prh 29 -03- 2018 the first one of the plate elements or, the other way around, so that the widening of each bushing is in contact with the second one of the plate elements. Thus, the above-described body structure and its fastening arrangement is suitable for cases where either one of the plate elements can be the plate element which is against the external object.
A body structure according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment of the invention is a lock-body comprising a latch and a mechanism for operating the latch, where at least a part of the mechanism is located in the room between the plate elements. The mechanism for operating the latch may comprise for example a turning element suitable for being connected to a door handle and a key operated lock-cylinder for enabling the turning element to move the latch and for disabling the turning element from moving the latch. For another example, the mechanism for operating the latch may comprise the above-mentioned turning element, a receiver, and an actuator for enabling the turning element to move the latch and for disabling the turning element from moving the latch in accordance with a lock control signal received with the receiver. The receiver can be e.g. a device for receiving the lock control signal from a signal cable. It is also possible that the receiver is a radio receiver.
A number of exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments of the invention are described in accompanied dependent claims.
Various exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments of the invention both as to constructions and to methods of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The verbs “to comprise” and “to include” are used in this document as open limitations that neither exclude nor require the existence of un-recited features. The features recited in dependent claims are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly stated. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an”, i.e. a singular form, throughout this document does not exclude a plurality.
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Brief description of the figures
Exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments of the invention and their advantages are explained in greater detail below in the sense of examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
figures 1 a, 1 b, 1 c, 1 d, and 1 e illustrate a body structure according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment of the invention.
Description of exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments
The specific examples provided in the description below should not be construed as limiting the scope and/or the applicability of the accompanied claims. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.
Figure 1a shows a schematic side view of a body structure according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment of the invention. Figure 1b shows a topview of the body structure, figure 1 c shows a butt-end view of the body structure, and figure 1 d shows a section view of a detail of the body structure. Figure 1 e shows a section view of a detail the body structure in an exemplifying situation that differs from the exemplifying situation illustrated in figures 1a-1d. Viewing directions related to figures 1a-1e are indicated by a coordinate system 199. In the exemplifying case illustrated in figures 1a-1c, the body structure is a lock-body that comprises a latch
118 and a mechanism 119 for operating the latch. The mechanism 119 can be any suitable lock mechanism. It is to be understood that lock-bodies according to exemplifying embodiments of the invention are not limited to any particular lock mechanisms.
The body structure illustrated in figures 1a-1e comprises plate elements 101 and
102 that are mechanically supported with respect to each other so that the plate elements are parallel with each other and a distance apart from each other. The plate elements 101 and 102 comprise fastening through-holes so that the fastening through-holes of the plate element 101 are aligned with the corresponding fastening through-holes of the plate element 102. In figure 1b, two of the fastening through30 holes of the plate element 101 are denoted with references 103 and 104. The body
20165859 prh 29 -03- 2018 structure further comprises bushings 105 and 106 each of which comprises a tubular section and a bottom section at a first end of the tubular section. In figures 1a and 1 d, the tubular section of the bushing 105 is denoted with a reference 107 and the bottom section of the bushing 105 is denoted with a reference 108. The second end of the tubular section of each bushing comprises a widening for preventing the second end of the tubular section from being pushed through the fastening throughholes of the plate elements. In figures 1 a and 1 d, the widening of the bushing 105 is denoted with a reference 109.
As illustrated in figure 1 d, a portion 110 constituted by the bottom section 108 and 10 a part of the tubular section 107 between the bottom section and the widening 109 is capable of being pushed through the fastening through-holes of the plate elements 101 and 102. The bottom section 108 comprises a through-hole that is smaller than the inner diameter of the tubular section 107. As illustrated in figure 1 d, the bushing 105 is suitable for a fastening screw 111 so that the head of the fastening screw is inside the tubular section 107 and the shank 120 of the fastening screw protrudes through the through-hole of the bottom section 108. In the exemplifying case illustrated in figure 1d, the body structure is attached to an external object 113 with the aid of the bushing 105 and the fastening screw 111 so that the plate element 102 is against the external object 113. Figure 1 e illustrates a case where the body structure is attached to the external object 113 with the aid of the bushing 105 and the fastening screw 111 so that the plate element 101 is against the external object 113.
The bushing 106 and a fastening screw 112 shown in figures 1a and 1c can be similar to the bushing 105 and the fastening screw 111, respectively. It is also possible that a body structure according to another exemplifying embodiment of the invention comprises bushings which are different from each other. For example, there can be one or more bushings having a smaller diameter for one or more smaller fastening screws and one or more bushings having a larger diameter for one or more larger fastening screws. Furthermore, in different embodiments of the invention, the number of bushings is not necessarily two. In some cases a sufficient fastening can be implemented with only one bushing and one fastening screw, whereas in some other cases there can be three or more bushings and
20165859 prh 29 -03- 2018 correspondingly three or more fastening screws. Furthermore, it is to be noted that the plate elements of body structures according to different embodiments of the invention may comprise not only the fastening through-holes for the one or more bushings but the plate elements may comprise also other through-holes for other purposes. For example, as shown in figure 1b, the plate element 101 of the body structure under consideration comprises not only the fastening through-holes for the bushings 105 and 106 but many other through-holes too. In this exemplifying case, one of the other through-holes is needed for connecting a shaft of a door handle to a turning element 121 that is a part of the mechanism 119.
In the exemplifying body structure illustrated in figures 1a-1e, the length of each bushing is smaller than the distance between those of the surfaces of the plate elements 101 and 102 which are facing away from each other. In figure 1 d, the length of the bushing 105 is denoted with L and the distance between those of the surfaces of the plate elements 101 and 102 which are facing away from each other is denoted with D. As illustrated in figure 1 d, the bottom section 108 is not in contact with the external object 113 and thus the widening 109 directs force to the plate element 101 when the fastening screw 111 is tightened.
In the exemplifying body structure illustrated in figures 1a-1e, each fastening through-hole of the plate elements is shaped to constitute a room for the widening of the tubular section of each bushing. As illustrated in figure 1 d, each fastening through-hole has a conical portion that tapers towards the room between the plate elements and correspondingly the widening 109 of the tubular section 107 is conical and tapers towards the bottom section 108. In the exemplifying case illustrated in figure 1 d, the bushing 105 can be in flush with or below the surface of the plate element 101. It is also possible that a fastening through-hole is shaped to constitute a room for the widening of a bushing so that the fastening through-hole has a stepwise change in the diameter.
In the exemplifying body structure illustrated in figures 1a-1e, the bushings 105 and 106 are rotationally symmetric. It is however also possible that a bushing has a non30 circular cross-sectional shape, e.g. a square form cross-sectional shape in cases where it is desirable to prevent the bushing from rotating.
In the exemplifying body structure illustrated in figures 1a-1e, the plate elements 101 and 102 are substantially rectangular and the body structure comprises spacers at the corners of the rectangular plate elements. In figure 1 a, two of the spacers are denoted with references 114 and 115. Each spacer can be for example a rod comprising a threaded hole at both ends of the rod. In this exemplifying case, the plate elements 101 and 102 can be attached to the spacers with screws protruding through the plate elements to the threaded holes of the spacers. In figure 1b, two of the screws are denoted with references 116 and 117.
The specific examples provided in the description given above should not be construed as limiting the scope and/or the applicability of the appended claims. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description given above are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.