GB2202268A - Keeper for retaining door or window - Google Patents

Abstract

There is disclosed a dual function keeper 26 mounted on a fixed frame so as to cooperate with a latching mechanism and a locking mechanism provided on an openable closure member, such as a door or window, mounted in the fixed frame. The retaining means comprises a fitting having a spring loaded latching element 16, and an espagnolette type locking mechanism. The keeper 26 defines a latching recess 31 which can receive the latching element 16, and locking recesses 32 in the form of sockets which can receive espagnolette type locking elements 24. <IMAGE>

Description

KEEPER FOR RETAINING DOOR OR WINDOW This invention relates to a keeper for retaining an openable closure member, such as a door or window, in a closed position, the keeper being intended to be mounted on a fixed frame so as to co-operate with retaining means provided on the closure member which is movably mounted on the fixed frame for movement between open and closed positions and which thereby brings the retaining means into co-operative engagement with the keeper as the closure member moves to the closed position.

Keepers or striker plates are well-known for use in retaining a handle-operated door latch, such a latch having a cam surface which engages the keeper and causes the latch to yield against spring biasing, and then spring back into a latching position in a suitable latching recess provided in the keeper. It is also very well known for the keeper to include a locking recess into which a key-operated locking element of a door can enter.

In conventional door furniture of the type used for generations with wooden doors, the latching and locking mechanisms are often arranged in a common housing. These function reliably, but suffer from the disadvantage of providing locking- of the door at a single position alongits upright (non-hinged) edge.

However, with the introduction of extruded plastics frames for mounting doors and windows, there have been developed latching / locking mechanisms which are operated from a common position for locking and unlocking, and also for unlatching (most latching systems-operate automatically upon closure of the door-), but which latch and also lock the door at spaced-apart positions along the frame in which the door is mounted, thereby to provide a more rigid assembly to withstand wind loadings and also to provide greater security against the attempts of intruders to make forcible entry.

Plastics extruded frames are presently provided with two types of keeper or "striking plates", one being intended to co-operate with a spring loaded latch and the other serving to co-operate with a locking element. Socalled espagnolette type fittings are being used increasingly in this country, for doors and windows, and comprise a base plate, and a slide plate carrying projecting locking cams or cylinders which form the locking elements proper. The slide plate is movable on the base plate under the operation of a key or handle-operated mechanism, so as to move the locking elements e.g. cams into and out of engagement with suitable locking recesses provided in respective striking plates.

Given the totally different nature of the latching elements, and the locking elements, the respective striker plates are substantially different in construction.

Therefore, it is necessary for the manufacturer of window and door frames to stock these two different types of keeper (striking plates), and to ensure that the assembler positions the correct type of striking plate in a required position according to the required function.

It would therefore be a considerable advantage to be able to provide a common design of keeper, both for stocking purposes and also for ease of assembly, which is able to co-operate with locking elements and latching elements of existing locking and latching mechanisms, without the necessity to carry out any modification or adaption of the keeper, beyond assembly in a correct position on a fixed frame to suit the particular locations of the respective locking and latching elements.

According to the invention there is provided a keeper for retaining an openable closure member in a closed position in a fixed frame in which the closure member is hingedly mounted, the keeper being intended to be mounted on the fixed frame so as to co-operate with retaining means provided on the closure member, when the later is moved to the closed position, in order to retain the closure member in the closed position; the retaining means being mounted on a closing edge face of the closure member and comprising a latching means having a spring-loaded latching element projecting from the edge face at a latching position on said face, and a locking means having at least one locking element which is slidably mounted for movement along said closing edge face between locking and unlocking positions; in which:: the keeper is capable of operating in a latching mode or a locking mode, in that it can be mounted at a latching position on the fixed frame so as to be capable of cooperating with the spring-loaded latching element, or at a locking position on the fixed frame so as to be capable of co-operating with the locking element; and the keeper comprises a base plate for mounting the keeper at the latching position or the locking position, an upstanding flange on said base plate which defines with the base plate a latching recess for receiving and retaining the latching element when the latter is moved against the flange and is displaced against its springloading so as to travel over the flange and then to be spring-urged into the latching recess when the keeper is operating in its latching mode, and a socket defined partly by the upstanding flange and the base plate and open in a direction along the length of the flange so as to receive the locking element when the latter is moved to its locking position and the keeper is operating in its locking mode.

Thus, the invention provides a single design of keeper which can be utilised as a latching keeper for co-operation with a spring loaded latching element, and as a locking keeper for co-operation with the locking element. Thus, in use, a minimum of two keepers according to the invention will be provided at respective ones of the latching position and locking position on the fixed frame, though when more than one locking element is provided as, for example, in an espagnolette type fitting having projecting locking "cams" or "cylinders" or "mushroom head cams", further keepers according to the invention will be provided.

Conveniently, the socket which forms a locking recess to receive a respective locking element is defined also by a projection extending laterally from the upstanding flange and mounted on the base plate, this being suitably shaped e.g. curved, so as to receive and locate the locking element. This projection also may have a dual function, in that it forms a guide for retaining the latching element when the latter moves to its latched position in the latching recess, and also the projection defines part of the latching recess.

Conveniently, a pair of projections are provided which extend laterally from the upstanding flange so as to define therewith a channel shape which forms the latching recess.

This constructi-on then provides two locking sockets, so that the keeper can be mounted to receive, in the locking position, a respective locking element moving in either one of two directions along the length of the upstanding flange.

The invention also is concerned with a closure member hingedly mounted in a fixed frame and provided with two or more keepers according to the invention, and as defined above.

Embodiments of keeper according to the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is'a schematic perspective illustration of part of an existing type of latching / locking mechanism provided along one upright edge of a hinged door; Figure 2 is a view of an inside face of an upright frame member of a fixed frame in which the door of Figure 1 is hingedly mounted; Figure 3 is a perspective illustration of a keeper according to the invention; Figure 4 is a plan view of the keeper shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a plan view of a further embodiment of keeper according to the invention; and, Figure 6 is an end view of the embodiment shown in Figure 5.

Before the preferred embodiment of keeper according to the invention -is described in detail, there will first be described an existing fitting of latching / locking mechanism with which the keeper according to the invention may be used, this being designated generally by reference 10 in Figure 1. The fitting 10 is a composite mechanism, as will be described in more detail below, and is provided along upright (non-hinged) face 11 of a door 12 which is hingedly mounted in a fixed frame (not shown) for movement about hinge axis X-X.

The fitting 10 is provided with a common housing 13 which is mounted in the face 11, and which accommodates suitable operating mechanism to operate a latching element, and also a locking- element, by means of manual controls provided on the housing 13. By way of example only, an operating handle may be mounted at 14, in order to effect release of the latching element, whereas an operating element 15 may be provided to operate the locking mechanism. The latching mechanism includes a spring biased- latching element 16 which has a wedge shape, or suitable cam surfaces, to enable the latching element to be displaced inwardly upon initial contact with a respective striker plate, and then to spring back into latching engagement in a latching recess in the striking plate.

In Figure 2, there is shown the corresponding upright frame member 17 of a fixed frame, with which the face 11 of the door 12 can co-operate. An existing type of striker plate 18 is mounted in the frame member 17, and defines a latching recess 19 into which the-latching element 16 can engage in order to maintain the door in the closed position.

The locking mechanism of the fitting 10 comprises an espagnolette type arrangement having a base plate 20 by which the mechanism is mounted in the face 11, and a slide plate 21 carrying outward projections 22 in the form of locking cams, cylinders or mushroom-type projections. Upon operation of the locking mechanism, the slide plate 21 and the projections 22 carried thereby are moved longitudinally, in order to displace the projections into and out of locking engagement with respective keepers or striking plates, a typical one of wh-ich is designated by reference numeral 23 in Figure 2.The keeper 23 defines a locking recess 24, and it will be noted that an entrance mouth 25 is defined, and through which a respective projection 22 can pass during hinged movement of the door 12 about axis X-X, and in the direction of the arrow Y in Figure 2, to move to the closed position. When the door has latched itself in the closed position, with the latching element 16 in latching recess 19, the door can then be locked by operation of the fitting 10 in order to displace the protections 22 along the locking recesses 24, following entry through the mouth 25. This then provides a very secure retention of the door 12 in both latched and also locked engagement with the frame member 17 of the fixed frame.

The preferr-ed embodiment of keeper according to the invention will now be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4, which is a single design of keeper able to perform the function of the (latching) keeper 18 and the (locking) keeper 23, without any adaptation, and merely requiring mounting at a6rrequired position along the length of the fixed frame to suit the positions of the respective latching elements and locking elements.

The keeper shown in Figures 3 and 4 is designated generally by reference 26, and comprises a base plate 27 having mounting holes 28 by which the keeper can be mounted at required positions along the fixed frame member 17. The keeper 26 has an upstanding flange 29 which is provided with a ramp portion 30 whIch is engaged by the cam or taper surface of the latching element 16 as the door 12 moves to the closed position, the latching element 16 snapping under spring biasing into latching engagement after it has passed over the ramp 30 in the direction of the arrow Z in Figure 3. Thus, a latching recess 31 is defined on the inside face of the flange 29. Figure 4 shows schematically the latching- element 16 moving towards the ramp 30 during door closure.Therefore, the flange 29, the ramp 30 and the latching recess 31 enable the keeper 26 to function as a striking plate to engage a spring-loaded latching element, such as latching element 16 of fitting 10.

In addition, and without any structural modification or adaptation, the keeper 26 is also capable of performing the function of the striking plate 23. To this end, the keeper 26 is formed with a pair of locking recesses 32 in the form of partial sockets. The recesses 32 are defined partly by the base 27, and also by a pair of upstanding curved flanges 33 extending laterally from the flange 29.

The locking projections 22 are shown schematically in Figure 4, one being arranged above the keeper 26, and the other being below, this being for illustrative purposes only. Depending upon the required direction of movement of one of the projections 22, to the locked position, the keeper 26 will be positioned accordingly, so that the locking element 24 can move into an appropriate one of the locking recesses 32. This locking movement of each locking element 24 will take place in the direction of the arrows, following inward movement of the locking elements in the direction of the arrow Z, as the door moves to the closed position.

It will be noted also that flanges 33 define with the base plate 27 and the flange 29 a generally channel shaped latching recess (31) which can locate the latching element 16.

The illustrated embodiment of keeper 26 is therefore readily able to perform a latching function, or a locking function, depending upon its position along the fixed frame, and the latching / locking element with which it is intended to co-operate. This provides ease of stocking for the manufacturer, and also ease of assembly.

Referring now to Figures 5 and 6, there is shown a further embodiment of keeper according to the invention, which is designated by the same reference numerals as in Figures 3 and 4, but with the addition of the letter a.

The keeper 26a of Figures 5 and 6 is generally similar in construction, and operation, but is modified in the construction and arrangement of flange 33a, as compared with flange 33. Also, base plate 27a is stepped downwardly from an upper platform which provides latching recess 31a.

In addition, the mounting hole 28a is taken through the base plate 27a and also through a curved mounting boss provided with a cup-shaped recess into which a fastening screw or bolt can be seated.

The construction of keeper 26a shown in Figures 5 and 6 is a detailed construction of keeper which is suitable for commercial production.

Claims (7)

1. A keeper for retaining an openable closure member in a closed position in a fixed frame in which the closure member is hingedly mounted, the keeper being intended to be mounted on the fixed frame-so as to co-operate with retaining means provided on the closure member, when the later is moved to the closed position, in order to retain the closure member in the closed position; the retaining means being mounted on a closing edge face of the closure member and comprising a latching means having a spring-loaded latching element projecting from the edge face at a latching position on said face, and a locking means having at least one locking element which is slidably mounted for movement along said closing edge face between locking and unlocking positions; in which:: the keeper is capable of operating in a latching mode or a locking mode, in that it can be mounted at a latching position on the fixed frame so as to be capable of cooperating with the spring-loaded latching element, or at a locking position on the fixed frame so as to be capable of co-operating with the locking element; and the keeper comprises a base plate for mounting the keeper at the latching position or the locking position, an upstanding flange on said base plate which defines with the base plate a latching recess for receiving and retaining the latching element when the latter is moved against the flange and is displaced against its spring-loading so as to travel over the flange and then to be spring-urged into the latching recess when the keeper is operating in its latching mode, and a socket defined partly by the upstanding flange and the base plate and open in a direction along the length of the flange so as to receive the locking element when the latter is moved to its locking position and the keeper is operating in its locking mode.

2. A keeper according to Claim 1, in which the socket which forms a locking recess to receive a respective locking element is defined by a projecting extending laterally from the upstanding flange and mounted on the base plate, this being suitably shaped to receive and locate the locking element.

3. A keeper according to Claim 2, in which the projection has a dual function, in that it forms a guide for retaining the latching element when the latter moves to its latched position in the latching recess, and also defines part of said latching recess.

4. A keeper according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, in which a pair of projections are provided which extend laterally from the upstanding flange so as to define therewith a channel shape which forms said latching recess.

5. A keeper according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the base plate is stepped having an upper portion which defines a platform which defines said latching recess with said upstanding flange, and a lower portion provided with mounting holes.

6. A keeper according to Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in any one of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

7. A closure member hingedly mounted in a fixed frame and including retaining means mounted on a closing edge face of the closure member and comprising a latching means having a spring-loaded latching element projecting from the edge face at a latching position on said face, and a locking means having at least one locking element which is slidably mounted for movement along said closing edge face between locking and unlocking positions, in combination with two or more keepers according to any one of the preceding claims.