GB2142686A

GB2142686A - Locking mechanism for sliding doors or windows

Info

Publication number: GB2142686A
Application number: GB08406450A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Darby
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-03-12
Filing date: 1984-03-12
Publication date: 1985-01-23
Also published as: GB8406450D0

Abstract

A locking mechanism for a sliding door or window, comprising panel members mounted for relative sliding movement, comprises an apertured keeper 31 which may be mounted on one of the members with the aperture thereof facing towards the other of the members, the aperture being of non-circular shape, and a bolt assembly which may be mounted on the other of the panel members. The bolt assembly comprises a bolt 19 which is rotatable about a bolt axis, and which comprises a head 24 which is also of non-circular shape, the bolt being capable when in and unlocked position of entering the aperture, and upon rotation of the bolt through 90 DEG to a locked position, retraction of the head through the aperture is prevented. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Locking mechanism for sliding panel assemblies The invention relates to locking mechanism for sliding panel assemblies such as sliding doors or windows and is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with locking mechanism for sliding patio doors.

A sliding patio door is usually assembled into position by lifting it so that its top edge is received in a deep overhead channel, and then the door is lowered to bring its lower edge into a floor channel or guide. The side of the door is usually provided with a latch assembly comprising a vertically slidable latch which engages with a keeper on the fixed door frame, the latch engaging with the keeper when the door is slid to the closed position. The latch can often be locked in the engaged position by a key.

A problem with that arrangement is that a thief can often lift the door from the outside, as accomodated by the depth of the overhead channel, and thereby disengage the latch from the keeper, and the door can then be opened or removed.

According to this invention there is provided, in or for a panel assembly comprising a first panel member and a second panel member mounted for sliding movement relative to the first panel member, locking mechanism operative to secure the first a second panel members together when the panel assembly is closed, the locking mechanism comprising a keeper adapted to be secured to the first panel member, said keeper having an aperture which when the panel assembly is closed faces. the second panel member, and a locking member adapted to be secured to the second panel member, the locking member being movable between an unlocked position in which it is capable of passage through the aperture and a locked position in which it is not capable of passage through the aperture.

Since the locking member extends in the direction of sliding movement, and since the locking member may easily be arranged and mounted to resist vertical. movement relative to the panel member on which it is mounted, such a lock can provide a strong resistance to both opening and lifting of the sliding panel, and can thus prevent the sliding panel from being moved in almost any direction.

Thus the locking member may have mutually perpendicular dimensions which differ from, being slightly smaller than, differing mutually perpendicular dimensions of the aperture, such that in one orientation the locking member may pass through the aperture, and in a second orientation passes through the aperture is prevented.

Conveniently the locking member comprises a bolt having a bolt head which is of noncircular shape, the bolt being adapted to be moved between its locked and unlocked positions by rotation about a bolt axis. For example, the aperture of the keeper and the bolt head may be of non-square rectangular shape, involving rotation of the bolt through 90 , or or cruciform shape, locking of the bolt involving rotation through 45 , or of other shape.

Preferably the locking mechanism comprises drive means comprising a drive pinion which is rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to that of the bolt, a driven pinion, and a rack member provided with a first series of rack teeth meshing with the drive pinion and a second series of rack teeth meshing with the driven pinion, conveniently the two series of rack teeth each lying in mutual perpendicular planes.

Preferably the locking mechanism comprises a key-operated device to move the locking member between its locked and unlocked positions, and advantageously the keyoperated device is operative to rotate the drive pinion.

Hollow aluminium door frames hate sections which are specifically in British Standards, and such a locking mechanism can be made sufficiently compact to be received within the door frame section.

Preferably stop means is provided in the bolt assembly to define the angular position of the bolt head in its locked position or postions.

Preferably the locking member is axial movable between a retracted position and an advanced position and is spring-urged into its advanced position. Thus, when the locking member is in its unlocked position closing of the panel assembly may be accomplished and the locking member may pass into the aperture: however should such movement be accomplished with the locking member inadvertently left in its locked position, the locking member on engagement with the keeper will be moved against the action and the spring biassing means to its retracted position, preventing damage to the first panel member.

A retractable spring-biassed bolted bolt can also assist in assembling of a self-contained bolt assembly into an aluminium door frame section. The bolt assembly may be inserted into one end of th door frame member and pushed along the bore of the frame member until the bolt registers with a previously machined aperture in the frame and snaps into that aperture. This avoids the need with some known designs to cut large apertures in the frame through which the entire lock mechanism is inserted, and which thereby reduced the strength of the frame.

The invention may be utilised in a sliding panel assembly whereof one panel member (e.g. the first panel member) is fixed and the other panel member (e.g. the second panel member) is mounted for sliding movement, or in a sliding panel assembly whereof the two panel members are both mounted for sliding movement.

It is further to be appreciated that the term "sliding movement" is not limited to sliding movement which takes place wholly in a plane, but includes "concertina" movement.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of a door frame fitted with a bolt assembly in accordance with the invention; and showing the bolt in its locked position, the bolt assembly being sectioned on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2; Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig.

1 but with one half of the housing of the bolt assembly removed, and with the drive pinion removed; Figure 3 is an end view of the bolt, in the direction locking from the left in Fig. 1; Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig.

1; Figure 5 is a side elevation of a door handle incorporating a fold-away bolt assembly in accordance with the invention; Figure 6 is a vertical section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and Figure 7 is a schematic plan view of the handle showing the extended bolt assembly in use.

With reference to Figs. 1 to 4, the vertical frame member 1 of a sliding patio door is in the form of a box-section aluminium extrusion with the usual externally projecting pairs of spacer flanges, not shown. The self-contained bolt assembly comprises oblong-rectangular first and second die-cast housing halves 2, 3 respectively which are secured together at their corners by four securing screws 4. The base 5 of the housing half 2 is formed with an elongate upstanding rib 6 which defines with the side wall 7 of the housing half 2 a guide channel 8 in which is slidably mounted a rack member 9 of substantially strip form.

Rack member 9 is provided with a first series of rack teeth 10 over the upper half of its length which face towards the housing half 3, and with a second series of rack teeth 11 over the lower half of its length, the first teeth 10 being formed on the wider face of the rack member 9, and the second teeth 11 being formed in the narrow edge face of the rack member.

With reference to Figs. 1 to 4, a substantially cylindrical drive pinion 12 has reduced ends 1 3 which are rotatably mounted in opposed semi-circular recesses 14 provided in the mating faces of the housing halves, the pinion being provided adjacent to one end thereof with pinion teeth 1 5 which mesh with the first rack teeth 10.

A driven pinion 1 6 is threadedly secured to a rotatable screw 1 7 of which the head is recessed into the base 5 of housing half 2, the screw 1 7 extending perpendicularly of the mating faces of the housing halves. The pinion 16 as its end remote from base 5 is received within a bore 1 8 of a rotatable bolt 19. Bolt 19 is provided at a mid-position in its length with a large diameter radial flange 20.

which lies within the housing cavity adjacent to the housing base 21 of housing half 3 to provide a substantial resistance to any attempts to force the bolt outwardly of the housing. Housing base-21 is provided with a hole 22 of a diameter to receive the main portion of the bolt but of substantially smaller diameter than that of flange 20. The projecting outer end portion of the bolt 1 9 comprises a neck 23 of reduced diameter compared with that of the main portion of the bolt and a transversely extending head 24 of oblongrectangular shape, as shown in Fig. 3.

The bolt 1 9 is slidably keyed against rotation relative to driven pinion 1 6 by a transverse pin, not shown, and is resiliently biassed in the direction away from housing half 2 by a pair of coil springs 25, only one shown in Fig. 1, mounted on respective stop pins 26 which extend through respective arcuate slots 27 in the flange 20 to define the range of angular movement of the bolt 19, the opposite ends of the pins 26 being received in blind bores in the housing bases 5, 21.

The bolt 1 9 is capable of being retracted against the force of springs 25 so.that the head 24 lies flush with the exterior surface of the housing half 3 to enable the bolt assembly to be slid along the bore of frame member 1 to the position shown in Fig. 1 whereupon the bolt will snap through a pre-drilled hole 28 provided in the wall 29 of the frame member 1 facing the fixed door frame, not-shown. A pair of housing securing screws 30 are then secured through registering holes in the wall 29 and housing halves to secure the bolt assembly against vertical movement.

A keeper plate 31 is adapted to be secured by screws to the fixed upright door frame member, not shown, and is provided with an aperture of complementary shape so that of the bolt head 24 to enable the head 24 to pass through the plate, but to prevent retraction of the head 24 when the bolt has been turned through 90 about its axis.

Drive pinion 1 2 is provided with a central bore 32 of non-round shape to receive a key of complementary cross-section. The sliding door frame 1 is provided on its inner face, that face which faces inwardly of the door towards the room, with an aperture which registers with one end 1 3 of the pinion 12 to enable the key to be inserted into pinion 1 2 to operate the bolt 1 9 by rotation of the key, the pinion 1 2 driving the rack which in turn drives the pinion 1 6 and rotates bolt 1 9.

The arrangement described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 is particularly compact and employs few moving parts.

It will be appreciated that if the door is brought to the closed position but with the bolt 1 9 turned into the locked angular posi tion, the bolt 1 9 will wimply be urged into the housing against the biassing of springs 25 and no damage will be caused to the mecha nism.

The drive pinion 1 2 may be modified to incorporate a key-operated pin tumbler mechanism for additional security.

The mechanism can be used in conjunction with the conventional latch arrangement which will provide added strength to resist opening of the door by sliding, since the locked bolt 1 9 will prevent the door from being lifted.

In a modification of the arrangement of - Figs. 1 to 4, the housing 2, 3 is adapted to be mounted on the frame 1 for D.l.Y. usage, and securing screws are passed through a housing cover in which the housing 2, 3 is mounted through the frame 1, and into threaded bosses provided on a plate which fits against the outside of the frame 1.

Figs. 5 to 7 show a simple arrangement of security bolt intended to be used when a house occupant leaves a house unattended for some time. The bolt assembly is normally housed in a folded-away condition in a hollow part of a door handle, and comprises a tie rod assembly 33 connected to the handle at one enci by a double-pivot 34 and having a T shaped free end 35 which is permitted to rotate by a coupling 36. The length of the tie rod assembly can be varied by a screw mechanism 37. In its stowed position the bolt assembly is hidden by a slidable cover 38.

In use, the cover 38 is raised to enable the tie rod to be pivoted to a position in which the free end 35 is directed towards a keeper plate 39 on the fixed frame 40, the head 35 is passed through an oblong rectangular aper ture in the plate 39 and turned through 90 , The screw mechanism 37 is then tightened.

Claims

1. In or for a panel assembly comprising a first panel member and a second panel mem ber mounted for sliding movement relative to the first panel member, locking mechanism operative to secure the first a second panel members together when the panel assembly is closed, the locking mechanism comprising a keeper adapted to be secured to the first panel member, said keeper having an aperture which when the panel assembly is closed faces the second panel member, and a locking member adapted to be secured to the second panel member, the locking member being movable between an unlocked position in which it is capable of passage through the aperture and a locked position in which it is not capable of passage through the aperture.

2. A locking mechanism according to Claim 1 wherein the aperture has differing mutually perpendicular dimensions, and the locking member has differing mutually perpendicular dimensions such that in one orientation the locking member may pass through the aperture, and in a second orientation passage through the aperture is prevented.

3. A locking mechanism according to Claim 2 wherein the aperture is of non-circular shape, and the locking member comprises a bolt having a bolt head which is also of noncircular shape in a cross-sectional plane which extends a right angles to the longitudinal axis of the bolt.

4. A locking mechanism according to Claim 3 wherein the bolt is adapted to be moved between its locked and unlocked positions by rotation about a bolt axis.

5. A locking mechanism according to one of Claims 2 and 3 wherein the aperture of the keeper and the bolt head are of non-square rectangular shape, and the aperture of the keeper is slightly larger than the bolt head, movement of the bolt to its locked position involving rotation thereof through 90".

6. A locking mechanism according to one of Claims 3 and 4 wherein the aperture of the keeper and the bolt head are cruciform shape, the aperture of the keeper being slightly larger than the bolt head, movement of the bolt to its locked position involving rotation thereof through 45 .

7. A locking mechanism according to any one of Claims 3, 4, 5 and 6 comprising drive means for moving the locking member between its locked and unlocked positions, the drive means comprising a drive pinion which is rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to that of the bolt, a driven pinion associated with the bolt, and a rack member provided with a first series of rack teeth meshing with the drive pinion and a second series of rack teeth meshing with the driven pinion.

8. A locking mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a keyoperated device to move the locking member between its locked and unlocked positions.

9. A locking mechanism according to Claim 8, as appendant to Claim 7, wherein the key-operated device is operative to rotate the drive pinion.

1 0. A locking mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the locking member is axial movable between a retracted position and an advanced position, and is spring-urged into to its advanced position.

11. A locking mechanism according to any one of the preceding claims comprising stop means to define the position of the locking member in its locked and/or unlocked positions.

1 2. In or for a panel assembly whereof one panel member is fixed and the other panel member is mounted for sliding movement, a locking mechanism according to any one of preceding claims.

13. The invention according to Claim 1 2 wherein the keeper is adapted to be secured to the fixed panel member and the locking member is adapted to be secured to the sliding panel member.

14. In or for a panel assembly whereof two panel members are both mounted for sliding movement, a locking mechanism according to any one of Claims 1 to 11.

1 5. The invention according to any one of preceding claims where use in a panel assembly whereof at least one panel member is mounted for concertina sliding movement.

1 6. A locking mechanism constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference a) to Figs. 1 to 4, or b) to Figs. 6 and 7, of the accompanying drawings.

1 7. Any novel feature and novel combination of features as hereinbefore described and/or shown in the accompanying drawings.