GB2173246A - Device to restrict door opening - Google Patents

Abstract

A door 10 mounted for pivotal movement in a frame 11 about an axis X-X, is provided with a security device comprising a link 30 mounted on one of the door or the frame member for rotation about an axis Y-Y which lies in, or is parallel to, a radius to the axis of pivot of the door, and a catch 40 mounted on the other of the door or the frame member to that on which the link is mounted, the link and catch being releasably inter-engageable and being moveable relative to each other when engaged to permit of limited opening of the door. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Security Device This invention relates to a security device for a door, window or other hinged closure member, any of which are hereinafter referred to for convenience as a door, mounted for pivotal movement in a frame.

It is known to provide a security device in the form of a chain permanently fixed at one end to the frame by an anchorage device secured to the frame and releasably engageable with a second anchorage device so that the door can be opened to a limited extent, governed by the length of the chain, to enable, for example, an occupant of a house to identify a visitor but to prevent the door being opened sufficiently far for a person to enter.

Such known security devices have the disadvantage that they are rather fiddly to engage and disengage the chain from the second anchorage device. They also have the disadvantage that it is relatively easy for an intruder to overcome the security device since the anchorage device is secured to a surface of the frame which is facing in the direction of door opening and the anchorage device is secured to the frame by wood screws so that, when an intruder pushes the door open the loads imposed on the anchorage device impose a force on the screws tending to pull them directly out of the frame.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved security device for a door mounted for pivotal movement in a frame which overcomes the above mentioned disadvantages.

According to one aspect of the invention we provide a door mounted for pivotal movement in a frame about an axis, and provided with a security device comprising a link mounted on one of the door or the frame member for rotation about an axis which lies in, or is parallel to, a radius to the axis of pivot of the door, and a catch mounted on the other of the door or the frame member to that on which the link is mounted, the link and catch being releasably inter-engageable and being movable relative to each other when engaged to permit of limited opening of the door.

The catch and link may cooperate to prevent disengagement of the catch from the link except when the door is in a predetermined position.

The link may be mounted on the frame and the catch on the door.

The link may be mounted on a surface of the frame which faces towards the axis of pivot of the door.

The catch may be mounted on the door to project from a surface of the door which faces away from the axis of pivot thereof.

The link may have an elongated slot therein within which the latch may be engaged so as to permit of said limited opening of the door by sliding of the catch along the slot, opening of the door being limited by engagement of the latch with an abutment part of the slot which may comprise an end of the slot.

The catch may comprise a member movable relative to the link in a direction generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the link to position a part of the catch within the slot when the door is in said predetermined position.

Usually the predetermined position will be a closed position of the door.

The member may have first and second portions of different cross-section, the first portion being passable through the slot when the door is in said predetermined position to position the second portion within the slot, and being prevented from passage through the slot when the door is not in said predetermined position.

As a result, as the door is opened, the catch member may be caused to move further out of the surface of the door to accommodate the increasing distance between the edge surface of the door and the link caused by the link continuing to lie in a fixed plane which is tangential to the axis of pivot of the door whilst the edge surface of the door rotates about the axis of pivot of the door away from the fixed plane to which it lies parallel when the door is closed.

The frame may be provided with a striker pad for engagement by the catch member as the door is closed so that the catch member is moved towards the axis of pivot of the door to permit the latch member to move over the surface of the frame to enable the door to be closed.

Alternatively, the catch member may be provided with a cam surface for engagement by the frame or a member fixed relative to the frame as the door is closed so that the catch member is moved towards the axis of pivot of the door to permit the latch member to move over the surface of the frame to enable the door to be closed.

The link may be mounted for rotation on a fixing member which is mounted on the frame.

The fixing member may comprise a plate engageable with said edge surface of the frame which faces the axis of pivot of the door and be secured to the frame by fasteners passing through the plate and said surface of the frame.

The plate may have an inwardly directed flange along an edge which engages a shoulder of a rebate formed in the frame, which shoulder extends generally perpendicularly from said surface of the frame towards the door.

The plate may have an outwardly directed flange along one edge thereof which extends away from the door. The outwardly directed flange may provide the striker pad for the catch member and/or the flange may trim the corner between the side surface of the frame and the edge surface thereof upon which the plate part is mounted.

The catch member may be set in the door so as to project from the edge surface thereof which faces away from the axis of pivot of the door and may have a manually engageable handle which extends outwardly of the side surface of the door to enable the catch member to be moved into and out of position for engagement with the latch member when the door is in said predetermined position.

The manually engageable handle may engage a gate provided on the door to retain the handle, and hence the catch member, in a disengaged position wherein the catch member is maintained out of position for engagement with the slot of the link, and to permit of movement thereof to an engaged position in which the catch member is in position for engagement with the slot of the link.

The gate may permit of limited movement of the catch member when in said engaged position to accommodate said change in distance between the link and the edge surface of the door.

A resilient biasing means may be provided resiliently to bias the catch member towards said engaged position.

The gate may comprise a first part in which the handle and hence the catch member is retained in the disengaged position and is inclined to the direction of movement of the catch so that the resilient biasing means tends to move the handle towards a closed end thereof and away from the opposite end thereof which communicates with a second part which permits of movement of the handle and hence of the catch member to said engaged position under the bias of said resilient biasing means.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of part of a door frame assembly embodying the invention; FIGURE 2 is a view in the direction of the arrow A of Figure 1; FIGURE 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 but showing the door in its closed position; FIG URE 4 is a view, partly in section, in the direction of the arrow B of Figure 3, FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of part of a door frame assembly of another embodiment of the invention, FIGURE 6 is a view in the direction of the arrow A of Figure 5, FIGURE 7 is a section of a line 7-7 of Figure 5 but showing the door in its closed position, FIG URE 8 is a view, partly in section, in the direction of the arrow B of Figure 7.

Referring to the Figures, a door 10 is pivoted about a vertical pivot axis X-X to a frame 11 by conventional leaf hinges 12. The door 10 may be of any desired construction and may, if desired, be partly glazed. In modifications of the invention, instead of a door 10, the invention may be applied to a window or any other pivoted, e.g. hinged, closure member.

On the opposite side of the door 10 to the pivot axis X-X the frame 11 has an inwardly facing edge surface 13 which is formed with a rebate 15 having a shoulder 16 which extends towards the axis X-X. The rebate 15 is provided to accommodate components of a security device indicated generally at 17 between the edge surface 13 of the frame 11 and an outwardly directed edge surface 18 of the door 10 which faces away from the axis X-X.

The security device 17 comprises a fixing plate 20 secured to the surface 13 in the rebate 15 by six wood screws 21 and having an inwardly directed flange 22 along one longitudinal edge which engages with the shoulder 16 of the rebate. The provision of the flange 22 facilitates attachment of the fixing plate 20 to the frame 11 since the correct depth of the rebate 15 can be readily achieved by ensuring that the longitudinally extending free edge 23 of the flange 22 is coplanar with the unrebated part 24 of the edge surface 13. The flange 22 also strengthens the fixing plate.

Along the opposite longitudinally extending edge the fixing plate 20 is provided with an outwardly directed flange 25 which, as best shown in Figure 3, is of curved configuration and is provided to trim the corner 26 between the rebate 15 and the adjacent side surface 27 of the frame 11. The fixing plate 20 is provided with a depressed portion 28 which serves as a striker pad, as hereinafter to be described, and the striker pad portion 28 is also provided with a flange, as indicated at 25a, which, not only trims the corner 26a between a locally recessed part 15a of the rebate 15 and the surface 27, but also acts as a lead on portion of the striker pad.

Rotatably mounted on the fixing plate 20 for rotation about an axis of rotation Y-Y which is substantially radial to the axis X-X but strictly is parallel to a radius to the axis X-X and spaced therefrom by a distance approximately equal to half the thickness of the door 10, is a rigid link 30.

The link 30 is mounted for rotation on the fixing plate 20 by means of a pivot pin 60 having a head 61 engaged with the surface of the plate 20 facing the surface 13, an unthreaded shank portion 62 engaged in an aperture 63 in the plate 20 and a threaded portion 63 threadedly engaged with the link 30. The length of the unthreaded part 62 in relation to the thickness of the plate 20 is such that it provides a pivot for the link 30.

If it is desired to use the security device on a door of opposite hand to that described hereinbefore, it is merely necessary to unscrew pivot pin 60 from the link 30 and to re-assemble the pivot pin and lInk 30 but with the piivot pin passing through the aperture 65 and then assembling the fixing plate 20 in an inverted position to the frame of a door of opposite hand.

The link 30 has an elongated slot 31 formed therein with an enlarged cross-section portion 32 at one end of part-circular configuration.

Slidably mounted in the door 10 is a catch 40 in the form of a bolt having a body part 41 of cylindrical configuration mounted for longitudinal sliding movement in a tubular case 42 having at one end a mounting plate 43 secured in a recess 44 formed in the surface 18 of the door 10 and hence thereon by two or more wood screws 45'. If desired a different number of fasteners may be used. The case 42 has an elongate slot 45 formed therein through which projects a radially extending handle 46 having a hand-engageable knob 47, there being, of course, a corresponding slot 48 cut in the side surface 49 of the door 10 which is in substantially the same plane as the axis of pivot X-X of the door.

The handle 46 extends through an escutcheon plate 50 formed with a gate 51 having a first part 52 which receives the shank 46a of the handle 46 when the bolt is in an inoperative position and a part 53 separated by a gate portion 54 from the part 52 which receives the shank 46a when the bolt is in its operative position. The width of the part 53 in the direction indicated by the reference numeral W, compared with the diameter of the shank 46a is such as to permit of limited sliding movement of the body 41 of bolt relative to the case 42 as hereinafter to be described.

The body 41 of the bolt carries at one end a projecting catch portion 55 of reduced diameter which provides a first part of the catch and a head part 56, of the same diameter as the body portion 41 which provides a second portion of the catch. The diameter of the head part 56 is such as to permit it to pass through the enlarged cross-section part 32 of the slot 31 formed in the link 30 but so as to prevent it passing through the main part of the slot 31, whilst the first portion 55 of the catch can pass through the slot 31.

It is to be noted, particularly in Figures 3 and 4, that the part 53 of the gate on the escutcheon permits the bolt to be passed through the part 32 of the slot 31 until it engages the striker pad 28. Because the striker pad 28 is spaced significantly away from the link 30, and because the width of the escutcheon portion 53 permits of a relatively wide range of position of the bolt 41 when in such extended operative position with the head 56 having passed through the part 32 of the slot, the clearance between the end surfaces 13 and 18 of the frame and door are not critical and hence the security device can be fitted and operated without difficulty to any door and frame combination irrespective of the precise clearance between the adjacent edge surfaces.

When it is desired to open the door with the security device in operation, the knob 47 is grasped and manipulated to move the bolt 41 from the inoperative position in which the shank 46 is received in the part 52 of the escutcheon, past the gate portion 54 of the escutcheon into the region 53, thus moving the head 56 of the bolt through the part 32 of the slot 31 which is aligned with the path of movement of the head 56 when the link 30 is extending vertically downwardly, as shown in Figure 2.When the door is opened by pivoting the door about its pivot axis X-X in a clockwise direction as shown in Figure 1, the link 30 is caused to rotate about its axis of rotation Y-Y until the first part 55 of the bolt engages the end 57 of the slot 31, whereupon further opening of the door is arrested so that the user of the security device can look through the gap between the door and the frame whilst passage of a person past the door is prevented.

Of course, as the door 10 pivots about the pivot axis X-X, the distance between the end surface 18 and the link 30 increases because the link 30, as it pivots from the position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 1, continues to lie in a single fixed plane, tangential to the axis X-X, whilst the surface 18 moves progressively through planes which, whilst tangential to the axis X X, are progressively inclined to the plane in which the link 30 lies.

This change in distance is accommodated simply by the engagement between the link 30 and the head 56 pulling the bolt further out of the door 10, this movement being accommodated by the width of the portion 53 of the escutcheon gate.

When the door is closed as the part 56 of the bolt moves towards the frame 11, it is engaged by the part 25a of the striker pad 28 and pushed inwardly back to its original position so as to enable the bolt 56 to pass over the surface 13 of the frame 11 and hence to permit the door to be closed.

If desired, the part 53 of the escutcheon may have an inclined surface as shown at 53a, in chain dotted line, which tends to cam the shank 46 of the knob upwardly so as to facilitate movement of the bolt from its operative to its inoperative position since it will have been automatically raised partly over the gate 54 by this camming action.

Other users may, however, prefer a more positive retention of the bolt in its operative position, in which the shape of the part 53 would be as illustrated in dashed line.

If desired, the slot part 32 of the link 30 may be countersunk and the head 56 of the bolt made chamfered to help guide the bolt through the part 32 in the event that the bolt head and part 32 become misaligned in use for example as a result of distortion of the door and/or frame.

The security device of the present invention offers considerable advantages compared with previously known security devices of the chain type and in particular, because the link is mounted for rotation about an axis radial to the axis of pivot of the door or parallel thereto, the fixing plate 20 is secured to the edge surface 13 of the door so that the screws 2 extend perpendicular to the direction of application of force if an intruder tries to force the door open against the security device.

The components of the security device may be made in steel with appropriate decorative finish as desired and the fixing screws may be of hardened steel.

In a modification, instead of the striker pad 28 being provided by a recess portion formed integrally with the remainder of the mounting plate, it may be provided by a separate member fixed in the part 15a of the rebate, the fixing plates 20 being cut away in the region of the striker pad to permit the head 56 to pass therethrough and engage the striker pad.

In another embodiment the fixing plate 20, or a separate member mounted behind a cutaway part of the fixing plate, may be provided with an opening to permit passage of the head 56 of the bolt when the bolt head is moved further outwardly beyond the position corresponding to the operative position described hereinbefore so that the bolt is trapped in the opening to prevent the door being opened. In this case the catch member would, therefore, act as a mortice bolt.

In this modification the escutcheon would be provided with three portions, there being an additional, bolt locking, portion on the opposite side of the portion 53 to the portion 52.

A striker pad may be provided behind the opening to limit extension of the bolt or extension of the bolt may be limited by the escutcheon.

Since to enable the door to be opened with the catch engaged with the striker pad the bolt must be positioned in its operative position described hereinbefore, then when the door is closed the bolt is still pushed back by the part 25a as described hereinbefore, and hence operation of the locking device is as described hereinbefore.

With this modification a user can bolt the door as it is closed against an intruder with out having to operate any other catch device.

Referring now to Figures 5 to 8 a further embodiment of the invention is illustrated. In these drawings the same reference numerals have been used for parts which correspond to the same parts of the embodiment described to with reference to Figures 1 to 4 but pre ceeded by a Figure 1.

In this embodiment the door and security device are essentially the same as described in connection with Figures 1 to 4 and hereinafter only the features of difference will be described.

In this embodiment the rebate is unprovided with a shoulder 16 and the fixing plate 120 is unprovided with an inwardly directed flange corresponding to the flange 22 since it has been found that in practice the correct depth for the rebate 115 can be achieved by other means, such as by measuring, and the plate 120 has been found to be adequately strong without the provision of such a flange. The plate 120 is also unprovided with an outwardly directed flange corresponding to the flange 25 nor is it provided with a depressed portion 28 etc. The plate 20 is therefore of simple rectangular configuration and hence is economical to produce. It is secured in the rebate 115 by four wood screws 121. The uppermost wood screw 121 is partially obscured by the link 130 when the door 110 is opened. This prevents a potential intruder gaining access by unscrewing the device.Alternatively or inadditionthe screws 121 may be tamper proof screws, i.e. screws which can only be removed using a special tool or screws which cannot be unscrewed.

The fixing plate 120 is provided adjacent one end with a pressed out boss 170, best shown in Figure 8 in which is received a pivot pin 171 having a head 172 and a shoulder 173. The link 130 is made as a pressing and is of channel configuration having a base 130a and spaced parallel limbs 130b. The pivot pin 171 is received in an opening 174 in the base 130a and the free end 175 of the pivot pin is riveted over so as ridgedly to clamp the base 130a to the shoulder 173. The head 172 engaged with the pressed out boss 170 thus provides a pivot for the link 130.

Because of the channel configuration of the link 130 the head 156 of the catch 140 is received between the limbs 1 30b and so avoids the need to provide a portion corresponding to the depressed portion 28 of the embodiment of Figures 1 to 4.

The above described construction makes the plate 120 more economical to manufacture than the plate 20 of embodiment of Figures 1 to 4 and also enables the plate 120 and link 130 to be connected together at the manufacturing stage. If it is desired to use the security device on a door of opposite hand to that described with reference to Figures 5 to 8 then this presents no difficulty since the plate and link assembly are double handed and can be fixed to a door of either hand The catch 140 of the present embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment by virtue of of being provided with a coil compression spring 180 which acts between the body part 141 and the case 142 so as normally to bias the body part 141 to the operative position shown in Figure 8.

In addition the escutcheon plate 150 is modified and, in particular has a gate 151 having a first part 152 which receives the shank 146a of the handle 146 when the bolt is in an inoperative position and a part 153 which receives the shank 46a when the bolt is in its operative position. The part 153 is inclined at a relatively shallow angle to the longitudinal axis of the body part 141. This enables the body part 14 to be biased towards its operative position by the spring 180. It also enables the body part 141 to be pushed back against the bias of the spring by virtue of engagment of a chamfered portion 1 56a of the head 156 with the edge of the plate 120 then the door is closed. Outward movement of the body part is limited by engagment of the shank 146a with the end of the part 153.

When it is desired to place the catch in its inoperative position the handle 146 is grasped and the shank 146a manipulated along the part 153 against the bias of the spring 180 and into a top portion of the part 152 so that when the handle 146 is released the spring 180 biases the shank 146a to the bottom of the part 152 because of the resultant force applied thereto having regard to the inclination of the part 152 to the longitudinal direction of the body part 141.

A circular plate 181 is provided on the shank 146a to obscure the slot which provides gate 151 to improve the aesthetic appearance of the device since the plate 181 moves with the handle and disguises the slot.

Claims (21)

1. A door mounted for pivotal movement in a frame about an axis, and provided with a security device comprising a link mounted on one of the door or the frame member for rotation about an axis which lies in, or is parallel to, a radius to the axis of pivot of the door, and a catch mounted on the other of the door or the frame member to that on which the link is mounted, the link and catch being releasably inter-engageable and being movable relative to each other when engaged to permit of limited opening of the door.

2. A door according to Claim 1 the catch and link cooperate to prevent disengagement of the catch from the link except when the door is in a predetermined position.

3. A door according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the link is mounted on the frame and the catch on the door.

4. A door according to Claim 3 wherein the link is mounted on a surface of the frame which faces towards the axis of pivot of the door.

5. A door according to Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein the catch is mounted on the door to project from a surface of the door which faces away from the axis of pivot thereof.

6. A door according to any one of the preceeding Claims wherein the link has an elongated slot therein within which the latch may be engaged so as to permit of said limited opening of the door by sliding of the catch along the slot, opening of the door being limited by engagement of the latch with an abutment part of the slot.

7. A door according to Claim 2 or any one of Claims 3 to 6 when dependent from Claim 2 wherein the catch comprises a member movable relative to the link in a direction generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the link to position a part of the catch within the slot when the door is in said predetermined position.

8. A door according to Claim 7 wherein the member has first and second portions of different cross-section, the first portion being passable through the slot when the door is in said predetermined position to position the second portion within the slot, and being prevented from passage through the slot when the door is not in said predetermined position.

9. A door according to Claim 8 wherein, as the door is opened, the catch member is caused to move further out of the surface of the door to accommodate the increasing distance between the edge surface of the door and the link.

10. A door according to any one of the preceeding Claims wherein the frame is provided with a striker pad for engagement by the catch member as the door is closed so that the catch member is moved towards the axis of pivot of the door to permit the catch member to move over the surface of the frame to enable the door to be closed.

11. A door according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 wherein the catch member is provided with a cam surface for engagment by the frame or a member fixed relative to the frame as the door is closed so that the catch member is moved towards the axis of pivot of the door to permit the catch member to move over the surface of the frame to enable the door to be closed.

12. A door according to any one of the preceeding Claims where the link is mounted for rotation on a fixing member which is mounted on the frame.

13. A door according to Claim 12 wherein the fixing member comprises a plate engagable with said side surface of the frame which faces the axis of pivot of the door and is secured to the frame by fasteners passing through the plate and said surface of the frame.

14. A door according to Claim 13 wherein the plate has an inwardly directed flange along an edge which engages a shoulder of a rebate formed in the frame, which shoulder extends generally perpendicularly from said surface of the frame towards the door.

15. A door according to Claim 13 or Claim 14 wherein the plate has an outwardly directed flange along one edge thereof which extends away from the door.

16. A door according to any one of the preceeding Claims wherein the catch member is set in the door so as to project from the edge surface thereof which faces away from the axis of pivot of the door and has a manually engageable handle which extends outwardly of the side surface of the door to enable the catch member to be moved into and out of position for engagement with the latch member when the door is in said predetermined position.

17. A door according to Claim 16 wherein the manually engageable handle engages a gate provided on the door to retain the handle, and hence the catch member, in a disengaged position wherein the catch member is maintained out of position for engagement with the slot of the link, and to permit of movement thereof to an engaged position in which the catch member is in position for engagement with the slot of the link.

18. A door according to Claim 17 wherein the gate permits of limited movement of the catch member when in said engaged position to accommodate said change in distance between the link and the edge surface of the door.

19 A door according to Claim 17 or Claim 18 wherein a resilient biasing means is provided resiliently to bias the catch member towards said engaged position.

20. A door according to Claim 20 wherein the gate comprises a first part in which the handle and hence the catch member is retained in the disengaged position and is inclined to the direction of movement of the catch member so that the resilient biasing means tends to move the handle towards a closed end thereof and away from the opposite end thereof which communicates with a second part which permits of movement of the catch member to said engaged position under the bias of said resilient biasing means.

21. A door substantially hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 or Figures 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.