FR3018091A1 - SAFETY BARRIER FOR CHILDREN WITH MAGNETIC LOCK - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a child safety barrier comprising a frame and a movable door. The door comprises a locking device adapted to move the door from a closed position to an open position, and vice versa. The locking device comprises a locking pawl movable between a retracted position and an extended position, in which it cooperates with a housing formed in the frame, into which it is inserted when the door is in the closed position. According to the invention, such a locking device comprises a first magnet adapted to hold the pawl in the retracted position when the door is in the open position. The frame comprises, near the housing, a second magnet more powerful than the first magnet, adapted to pass the locking pawl from the retracted position to the deployed position when the pawl is substantially vis-à-vis the housing.

Description

Child safety barrier with magnetic lock. FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The field of the invention is that of safety barriers intended to restrict children's access to certain rooms or to certain dangerous zones, such as stairs. More specifically, the invention relates to such a child safety barrier with magnetic locking. 2. Prior art and its disadvantages Many safety barriers are known, designed to prevent young children from accessing areas that could be dangerous for their safety, such as a kitchen, a stairwell, a swimming pool , etc., or simply to prevent them from coming out of a room in which they were installed. Such safety barriers generally comprise a frame that can be held in an opening (door, staircase, ...) by means of fixing pads, and a door mounted to move relative to the frame. This door can rotate relative to the frame with a system of hinges, or slide relative to the latter. The frame is most often a U-shape, the two lateral uprights are equipped with fixing pads, mounted on a threaded rod, allowing a fine adjustment of the width of the barrier to the width of the opening to be closed. Some of these barriers may also be equipped with extensions, of different sizes, for wider width adjustments. It is particularly important for child safety that these barriers have effective locking systems, which ensure that the doors remain locked in the closed position at all times, and that children can not open them alone.

It is also very important that such barriers are equipped with automatic locking systems, ensuring that the door is locked systematically in the closed position, after any passage of an adult, without the risk that the door remains unintentionally ajar. Such barriers are then called "auto-close" barriers.

Known automatic locking systems generally comprise a horizontal latch, mounted on a spring, provided in a handle provided on the movable door, and cooperating with a recess arranged in a receiving part arranged in concordance on the frame of the barrier.

In the closing movement, the latch comes into contact with a guide zone provided on the receiving part, which causes its withdrawal inside the handle; it is then pushed back into the recess by the return force of the spring. Such a guiding zone is for example in the form of an inclined surface pan, guiding the latch to the recess in the frame.

However, it happens that the closing speed of the pivoting door is insufficient for the latch slides on the guide zone, until it is housed in the recess under the effect of the spring restoring force. The latch then rests on the guide zone, but the door does not lock, so that a child can easily open it by simply pulling on the door. In addition, in this case, the adult does not necessarily notice that the door is badly locked. Such a safety barrier is particularly described in patent document EP 1 668 216, which has a child safety barrier equipped with a locking device, which can also be activated or deactivated without any manual manipulation or at the foot of the barrier, by means of an electrical signal. More specifically, the frame of the barrier accommodates a sliding column, on which is mounted a locking housing, cooperating with a locking latch disposed on the pivoting part (i.e. the door) of the barrier. The locking housing further accommodates, in its lower part, a magnet for holding the locking latch in the locked position. The locking housing has an inclined face. When an electrical voltage is applied, the sliding column moves upwards, the locking latch is then released from the action of the magnet and slides on the inclined section of the locking housing, thus allowing the opening of the door.

Similarly, when the door closes, the latch latch slides on the inclined face to enter the locking housing, in which it is attracted by the magnet, allowing the locking of the barrier in the closed position. In this same patent document EP 1 668 216, a safety barrier of the prior art is described in relation to FIGS. 5 and 6. In this safety barrier, a locking pawl 29 slides horizontally between a retracted position and a deployed position, under the action of a trigger 38 associated with a return spring 41. As long as a pressure is exerted on the trigger 38, the locking pawl is kept in the retracted position. When the door closes, the locking pawl 29 experiences the pulling force of a magnet 30 located in the barrier frame, which locks the door in the closed position. With such a locking system, it is therefore important that the adult maintain the pressure exerted on the trigger 38 until the door arrives in the closed position, to avoid the aforementioned drawbacks. Indeed, if the trigger is released prematurely, it pivots under the effect of the return spring 41, and thus pushes the locking pawl 29 in the deployed position. If the closing speed of the door is too low, it is therefore possible that the door softly comes to rest on the frame, and that the locking pawl 29 comes to rest gently on the frame of the barrier, without coming to lodge in the housing provided in the latter, and therefore without the door is locked under the effect of the attraction of the locking pawl 29 by the magnet 30. However, it is particularly impractical for the adult to have to maintain this pressure on the trigger until the complete closure of the barrier. Indeed, the adult is often charged when he crosses the barrier, because it carries most of the child in his arms. Most of the known improvements to this type of system, and in particular that described in patent document EP 1 668 216, therefore aim to reduce as much as possible the manual manipulations that the adult must perform to open and close the barrier. There is therefore a need for a child safety barrier that does not have these disadvantages of the prior art.

In particular, there is a need for such a child safety barrier that allows automatic locking more reliable than according to the techniques of the prior art. 3. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The invention responds to this need by providing a child safety barrier comprising a frame and a door movable relative to said frame. The door comprises a locking device adapted to move the door from a closed position to an open position, and vice versa, relative to the frame. The locking device comprises a locking pawl movable between a retracted position and an extended position, in which it is adapted to cooperate with a locking recess in the frame in which it is inserted when the door is locked in the closed position. According to the invention, such a locking device comprises a first magnet adapted to hold the locking pawl in the retracted position when the door is in the open position. In addition, the frame comprises, near said locking housing, a second magnet more powerful than said first magnet, adapted to pass the locking pawl from the retracted position to the extended position when the locking pawl is substantially screwed. to the lock slot. Thus, the invention is based on a completely new and inventive approach to child safety barriers. Indeed, the invention provides a clever magnetic locking mechanism, which provides a reliable and systematic locking of the door in all circumstances, without risk that the door remains unintentionally ajar without the adult noticing it. To do this, such a safety barrier comprises two magnets, including a first magnet, located in the locking device, which keeps the locking pawl in the retracted position, as soon as an adult has actuated the device in order to open the door, and until complete lock of the latter. In this retracted position, the locking pawl does not protrude from the door, so that there is no risk that it comes to rest on the door frame during the slow closing of the door, without come and plug in the lock slot. However, the adult does not need to maintain any pressure on the locking device, to maintain the locking pawl in this retracted position. Manual manipulations are reduced. In addition, a second, more powerful magnet is provided in the door frame.

Thus, when the door arrives in the closed position, and the locking pawl in the retracted position is opposite the locking recess in the frame, this pawl is attracted by this second, more powerful magnet, and thus automatically moves to the deployed position, in which the door is thus locked in the closed position.

According to a first aspect of the invention, such a locking device comprises an unlocking lever and a movable safety button between a rest position and an actuating position, said safety button in the rest position being able to prevent any movement of said unlocking lever. Thus, such a safety barrier advantageously has a double-actuated unlocking system, which allows the unlocking of the door only if a safety button, located for example on the upper part of the device or the handle, is actuated, for example lowered, before the unlocking lever, for example on the lower part of the handle, is in turn actuated. Such a dual actuation system is particularly advantageous in terms of safety, because it prevents a child can unlock the door. Indeed, the door unlocks in response to the subsequent actuation, and in this order, the safety button, and the unlocking lever. Thus, when the safety button is in the actuating position, the unlocking lever can be in turn actuated to move from a rest position to an actuating position. According to another aspect of the invention, the unlocking lever has a sloped surface cooperating with a corresponding first bearing surface of the locking pawl. Moving the unlocking lever from its rest position to its actuating position causes the locking pawl to move from the extended position to the retracted position by relative sliding of the inclined surface and the first bearing surface. Thus, as soon as a user actuates the unlocking lever, after releasing the safety button, the relative shapes of the unlocking lever and the locking pawl allow the automatic retraction of the latter in the locking device. It is then automatically maintained in the retracted position under the effect of the attractive force exerted by the first magnet. According to another aspect of the invention, such a locking device comprises a return spring of the lever for unlocking its actuating position to its rest position. There is therefore no risk that the unlocking lever remains locked in the actuating position, which would prevent the locking of the door in the closed position. On the contrary, as soon as the user releases the unlocking lever, the return spring automatically returns it to the rest position. According to yet another aspect of the invention, the locking pawl has an inclined surface pan cooperating with a second corresponding support surface of the safety button. The movement of the locking pawl from its retracted position to its extended position causes the safety button to move from its actuating position to its rest position by relative sliding of the inclined surface and the second bearing surface.

Thus, when the locking pawl moves from the retracted position to the deployed position, under the effect of the attraction force of the second magnet, thus causing the locking of the door in the closed position, it also causes the return the safety button in the rest position, in which the latter prevents any movement of the unlocking lever. This ensures that the door locks well in the closed position. According to yet another aspect of the invention, the door is pivotable relative to the frame. Note that such a locking device could of course also be installed on a sliding door relative to the frame. According to another particular aspect of the invention, the first magnet is fixed on the locking pawl. Thus, the first magnet moves with the pawl, between a retracted position in which it exerts a force of attraction on a metal part of the locking device, and an extended position, in which it undergoes the attraction force of the second magnet located in or near the interlocking housing in the frame.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the locking pawl is held in the retracted position under the effect of the attraction force exerted by the first magnet on said return spring and / or on a support for fixing said spring. Thus, it is advantageous to use the properties of the return spring and / or its fixing support, made of ferrous metal material, which is attracted by the first magnet located on the locking pawl, to hold the latter in the retracted position. Such an embodiment therefore has a small number of parts. Alternatively, the first magnet may be fixed in the locking device, and exert an attractive force on a ferrous metal portion of the locking pawl.

According to another particular aspect of the invention, such a locking device comprises a visual indicator capable of taking two states: a correct locking state when the door is locked in the closed position; an incorrect lock state otherwise.

Thus, the adult user of the barrier can directly check the correct locking of the barrier, by means of a simple visual indicator located on the locking device or the handle of the door. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the locking pawl bears two distinct visual signs, respectively corresponding to the correct locking state and the incorrect locking state, and: when the locking pawl is in the retracted position , the visual sign corresponding to the incorrect locking state is located opposite an opening in the locking device; when the locking pawl is in the deployed position, the visual sign corresponding to the correct locking state is located opposite the opening in the locking device. For example, the locking pawl has two icons: a green pellet on which is affixed a closed padlock; a red pellet on which is affixed an open padlock. The opening in the locking device reveals one or the other of these icons, depending on the position of the locking pawl, and therefore the locking state of the door. Thus, the user can very easily check that the door is properly locked, or even, without the need to check, be alerted by the red color when it is not. 4. List of Figures Other purposes, features and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly on reading the following description, given as a simple illustrative and non-limiting example, in relation to the figures, among which: Figure 1 shows an overall view of a safety barrier according to the invention; FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate more precisely the handle including the barrier locking device of FIG. 1, respectively when the door is in the closed position (FIG. 2A) and in the open position (FIG. 2B); FIGS. 3A and 3B show a sectional view of the locking device of FIGS. 2A and 2B, respectively when the door is in the closed position (FIG. 3A) and in the open position (FIG. 3B), according to a first embodiment of FIG. invention; Figure 4 provides a perspective view of the locking device of Figure 3A; FIGS. 5A and 5B show a sectional view of the locking device of FIGS. 2A and 2B, respectively when the door is in the closed position (FIG. 5A) and in the open position (FIG. 5B), according to a second embodiment of FIG. invention; FIGS. 6A to 6E show different views of a system for automatically returning the door to the closed position. 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION The general principle of the invention is based on a clever magnetic locking system of a child safety barrier, based on two magnets, allowing, on the one hand, maintaining a locking pawl in the retracted position until the door is closed completely, under the action of a first magnet, and secondly automatically locking the door in the closed position, under the action of a second more powerful magnet.

There is now shown, in connection with Figure 1, a child safety barrier in a particular embodiment of the invention. Such a barrier conventionally comprises a U-shaped frame referenced 1, comprising a threshold bar 10 and two lateral uprights 11 and 12, and a door referenced 2 pivoting relative to the frame 1 between a closed position and an open position. The door and the frame are for example made of tubular metal materials. In the particular example of FIG. 1, the U-shaped frame referenced 1 is furthermore provided with extensions referenced 3 and 4, on either side of the frame, making it possible to adapt the width of the barrier to the width of the opening that is to be closed. Such extensions are optional.

On its upper part, the door 2 is equipped with a handle 20, comprising a locking device, which can be better seen in Figures 2A and 2B. Such a handle 20 cooperates with a corresponding part referenced 21 disposed on the upper part of the lateral upright 12 of the frame 1. As can be seen in Figures 2A and 2B, such a handle is equipped with a double unlocking system actuation, comprising a safety button 22 located on the upper part of the handle and an unlocking lever 23 located on its lower part. As will be seen in more detail later, the user who wishes to open the door 2 of the barrier, must first unlock the safety button 22, then actuate the unlocking lever 23.

In FIG. 2A, the safety button 22 and the unlocking lever 23 are both in the rest position, and the door 2 is locked in the closed position relative to the frame 1. A visual indicator 24, for example making a padlock appear in the closed position on a green background, confirms to the user that the door is properly locked in the closed position relative to the frame. In FIG. 2B, the safety button 22 and the unlocking lever 23 are both in the actuating position, and the door 2 is in the open position relative to the frame 1. Indeed, the safety button 22 has been lowered compared to Figure 2A, and the unlocking lever 23 has been actuated upwards. The visual indicator 24, for example showing a lock in the open position on a red background, confirms to the user that the door is not properly locked in the closed position relative to the frame. FIGS. 3A and 3B show more clearly the locking device located in the handle 20. In FIG. 3A, the door 2 is locked in the closed position relative to the frame 1. In FIG. 3B, the locking device has been actuated by the user, to open the door, which is no longer locked relative to the frame, and can freely rotate. In FIG. 3A, the safety button 22 is in the high rest position. It can pivot about the axis 36, to lower in the actuating position, as shown in Figure 3B. When in the rest position, its lower end 37 bears on an upper surface 38 of the unlocking lever 23. This contact of the facing surfaces referenced 37 and 38 then prevents any movement of the unlocking lever 23. which is locked in the low rest position, as illustrated in FIG. 3A.

When a user actuates the safety button 22, the latter pivots around the axis 36 and releases the unlocking lever 23, by relative sliding of the inclined surfaces facing each other referenced 37 and 38. The user can then exert pressure on the release lever 23, to move it from its low rest position (Figure 3A) to its upper operating position (Figure 3B).

A referenced return spring 30 is also secured to a mounting bracket referenced 31, and automatically remembers the release lever referenced 23, its actuating position (Figure 3B) to its rest position (Figure 3A).

The unlocking lever 23 also has a sloped inclined surface 39 referenced. During the passage of this lever 23 from its rest position to its actuated position, this inclined surface pan 39 slides along a surface of corresponding support referenced 40 of a locking pawl referenced 34. Such a locking pawl 34 can take an extended position, as shown in Figure 3A, on which this pawl 34 is inserted into a locking recess 35 in the part upper 21 of the frame 1. It can also take a retracted position, as shown in Figure 3B, wherein it is fully housed in the locking device, and therefore does not exceed the handle 20.

When the sloping surface 39 of the unlocking lever 23 slides along the corresponding bearing surface 40 of the locking pawl 34, it causes the latter to retract from its extended position (FIG. 3A) towards its retracted position (FIG. 3B). A first magnet referenced 32 is fixed on the lower part of the locking pawl 34. When the locking pawl 34 is in the retracted position (FIG. 3B), this first magnet 32 exerts a force of magnetic attraction on the return spring 30 and or on its metal mounting bracket 31, so that the locking pawl 34 is held in the retracted position, without the user having to perform any pressure action on one or other of the elements of the handle .

The user only has to pull the door 2 to rotate it and open it. When the user releases the door 2, it automatically pivots to its closed position, thanks to an automatic return system, an embodiment of which will be described later in connection with Figures 6A to 6D.

The locking pawl 34 being held in the retracted position under the effect of the first magnet 32, there is no risk that the door 2 does not reach its full closed position. As soon as the pore 2 has reached this position, the locking pawl 34 is thus found opposite the locking recess 35. In this position, the first magnet 32 is subjected to the magnetic attraction force of a second More powerful magnet referenced 33. Such second magnet 33 is located in or near the locking housing 35. Under the effect of this magnetic attraction force, which is of greater intensity than the force of attraction exerted by the first magnet 32 on the return spring 30 and / or its fixing support 31, the locking pawl 34 is drawn into the locking recess 35, and thus slides from its retracted position (FIG. 3B) to its deployed position (FIG. 4A), in which it comes to lock the door 2 in the closed position relative to the frame 1.

The latching pawl 34 also has an inclined flange surface referenced 41 cooperating with a corresponding bearing surface referenced 42 of the safety button 22. When the locking pawl 34 passes from said retracted position of Figure 3B to said deployed position 3A, under the attractive force of the second magnet 33, the facing surfaces referenced 41 and 42 slide relative to each other, resulting in the return of the security button 22 of its operating position (Figure 3B) to its rest position (Figure 3A), by pivoting about the axis referenced 36. Thus, when locking the door 2 in the closed position, it also ensures the return of two buttons , the safety button 22 on the one hand, and the unlocking lever 23 on the other hand, in their respective rest positions. It is then again necessary to operate in sequence the operation of these two buttons if you want to reopen the door. Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the locking device of Figure 3A.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show another embodiment of the locking device of FIGS. 3A and 3B. In these Figures 5A and 5B, the same elements are designated by the same reference numerals as in Figures 3A and 3B. This second embodiment differs from that of FIGS. 3A and 3B in that the first magnet, making it possible to hold the locking pawl 34 in the retracted position, is not fixed on the latter, but is disposed at the bottom of a housing of receiving 53 formed in the locking device. The locking pawl 34 has at its right end in Figures 5A and 5B a ferrous metal portion 51, which undergoes the attraction force of the first magnet referenced 52. The locking pawl is then held in the retracted position (Figure 5B). The locking pawl 34 also has at its opposite end another ferrous metal portion 50 (in place of the magnet referenced 32 of FIGS. 3A and 3B), which undergoes the attraction of the second, more powerful magnet 33 when the ratchet is in the deployed position.

With these differences, the operating mode of the locking device of Figures 5A and 5b is identical to that of Figures 3A and 3B. An example of an automatic return system of the door 2 in the closed position is now presented in relation with FIGS. 6A to 6D. This automatic return system can of course be implemented on a child safety barrier independently of the locking device described above. Conversely, other automatic door return systems can be implemented in conjunction with the locking device described above, such as for example hinges equipped with springs. Figure 6B is a sectional view AA of Figure 6C. Figure 6A is a sectional view BB of Figure 6B. Figure 6E is a corresponding perspective view. FIG. 6B illustrates the threshold bar 10 of the frame 1, as well as the lower transverse amount 14 of the door 2, and the fastening zone by pivot connection about the axis referenced 61 of this door 2 on the threshold bar 10 A prestressed compression spring referenced 60 is inserted into the lower transverse pillar 14 of the door 2. It has, at its end farthest from the axis of rotation 61, a pusher 62, to which a cable of fixed length is fixed. referenced 67 at its end 63. At its other end, this cable referenced 67 passes through a coil 64 shaped curved C, and is fixed thereto in a fastening zone referenced 65. When the door 2 pivots around the axis 61 to open, the cover 67, secured to the amount 14 of the door, pivots around the coil 64, the latter being held in a fixed position by the fastening lugs 66 enclosing the threshold bar 10 of the frame 1. The Figure 6D illustrates this mechanism when the door 2 has made a rotation of 90 ° (arrow referenced 68) with respect to Figure 6A. The cable 67, attached to the coil 64 at its end 65, is no longer rectilinear, since it passes through the coil 64 which has not rotated with the door. It therefore operates a pull on the pusher 62 of the spring 60, to which it is fixed at its end 63. The spring 60 is compressed when opening the door 2 (arrow referenced 69). As soon as the user releases the door 2, the spring 60 seeks to return to its rest position of Figure 6A, and in doing so, it remembers the door 2 in the closed position.

Claims (11)

REVENDICATIONS1. A child safety barrier comprising a frame and a door movable relative to said frame, said door comprising a locking device adapted to move the door from a closed position to an open position, and vice versa, with respect to said frame, said device locking device comprising a locking pawl movable between an extended position and a retracted position, said locking pawl in the extended position cooperating with a locking recess in said frame in which it is inserted when said door is locked in the closed position, characterized in said locking device comprises a first magnet adapted to hold said locking pawl in the retracted position when said door is in the open position, and in that said frame comprises, in the vicinity of said locking housing, a second magnet which is more powerful than said first magnet, able to pass said ratchet locking said retracted position to said extended position when said locking pawl is substantially facing said locking housing. 2. Safety barrier according to claim 1, characterized in that said locking device comprises an unlocking lever and a movable safety button between a rest position and an actuating position, said safety button in the rest position being adapted to prevent any movement of said unlocking lever. 3. Safety barrier according to claim 2, characterized in that, when said safety button is in the actuating position, said unlocking lever can be actuated to move from a rest position to an actuating position. 4. Safety barrier according to claim 3, characterized in that said unlocking lever has an inclined surface pan cooperating with a corresponding first bearing surface of said locking pawl, and in that a displacement of said unlocking lever of its resting position towards its actuating position causes said locking pawl of said extended position to move toward said retracted position by relative sliding of said inclined-panel surface and said first bearing surface. 5. Safety barrier according to any one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that said locking device comprises a return spring of said unlocking lever from its actuating position to its rest position. 6. Safety barrier according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that said locking pawl has an inclined surface pan cooperating with a second corresponding bearing surface of said safety button, and in that the displacement said locking pawl of said retracted position to said extended position causes said safety button to move from its actuating position to its rest position by relative sliding of said inclined surface and said second bearing surface. 7. Safety barrier according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the door is pivotable relative to said frame. 8. Safety barrier according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said first magnet is fixed on said locking pawl. 9. Safety barrier according to claims 5 and 8, characterized in that said locking pawl is held in the retracted position under the effect of the force of attraction exerted by said first magnet on said return spring and / or on a support for fixing said spring. 10. Safety barrier according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said locking device comprises a visual indicator capable of taking two states: a correct locking state when said door is locked in the closed position; an incorrect lock state otherwise. 11. Safety barrier according to claim 10, characterized in that said locking pawl bears two distinct visual signs, respectively corresponding to said correct locking state and said incorrect locking state, and in that: when said locking pawl is in retracted position, said visual sign corresponding to said incorrect locking state is located opposite an opening in said locking device; when said locking pawl is in the deployed position, said visual sign corresponding to said correct locking state is located opposite said opening in said locking device.