GB2214224A

GB2214224A - Security door lock

Info

Publication number: GB2214224A
Application number: GB8824379A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Walter Bray
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-12-29
Filing date: 1988-10-18
Publication date: 1989-08-31
Also published as: GB8730212D0; GB8824379D0

Abstract

A locking plate 110 is movably mounted on a door 112 from the locked position shown in Figure 4 to the unlocked position shown in Figure 5. In the locked position the locking plate is able to engage with a housing at four locations 152 on one side of the door and at a single location 154 at the other side in order that, when a lever is inserted between the housing at either side of the door to attempt to force the door open the locking plate abuts the housing to prevent the forcing of the door. The plate is moved from the locked position to the unlocked position by pivoting a cog 150. <IMAGE>

Description

SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS.

The present invention relates to a security arrangement and to a method of preventing unauthorlsed opening of a closure member and in particular, although not exclusively, to a security arrangement for use on coin operated machines In which It is desired to protect the coins from unauthorised removal.

Existing doors of cash boxes on coin operated machines include a lock on the door which operates a bar which can either be swung down Into a slot in the frame of the machine, to lock the door, or raised, upon insert ion and rotatlon of a key, to allow the door to be swung open. However, unauthorised entry can be gained by inserting a bar between the door and the machine either in the region of the bar or elsewhere and prising the door to bend or break the bar. As the bar is only connected to the door by the locking mechanism, which must be spaced sllghtly from the edge of the door, the bar bends or breaks relatively easily thus rendering the machine relatively simple to steal from.

According to an aspect of the present invention a security arrangement Includes a lockable closure member movable between an open position, In which access to a housing can be gained, and a closed position, in which access to that housing cannot be so gained, the arrangement further Including a locking means movable by an authorised person between a locked position in which, when the closure member is in the closed position, the locking means is capable of co-operating with the closure member and housing at at least two spaced locations to prevent movement of the closure member from the closed position to the open position, and an unlocked position in which the closure member can be moved from the closed position to the open position.With such a security arrangement, it is difficult for unauthorised entry to be gained to the housing when the closure member Is In the closed position and the locking means Is in the locked position as the locking means Is able to co-operate with the closure member and the housing at more than one location.

The portions of the locking means which are capable of co-operating with the housing at at least two spaced locations to prevent movement of the closure member from the closed position to the open position may be constrained to move simultaneously from the unlocked position to the locked position. The portlons of the locking means which may be arranged to move together from the unlocked position to the locked position may do so in a common direction, and that common direction may be translatlonal or pivotal. Where the movement is translational, pivotal movement of an operating member may be converted into translational movement of the locking means.Furthermore, when the movement of the locking means is translational, at least one portlon of the locking means which may be capable of co-operating with the housing when the closure member is In the closed position and the locking means is in the locked position may also be capable of co-operating with the housing when the locking means Is in the unlocked position to prevent movement of part of the closure member away from the housing, and that one portion of the locking means may be located In the region of a mounting of the closure member on the housing.

The locking means may include an integral member which Is capable of co-operating with the housing at at least two spaced locations when the locking means is in the locked position and the closure member is In the closed position. The Integral member may comprise a plate.

The locking means may be mounted on the closure member. The locking means may be connected to the closure member by connection means which permit movement of the locking means in a first direction between the locked and the unlocked positions but restrain movement In a second direction transverse to the first direction.

The locking means may abut the connection means to limit the degree of relative movement between the locking means and the closure member in the first direction. The portlons of the locking means which are capable of cooperating with the housing when the locking means are in the locked position may be spaced from the closure member, and that spacing may be capable of being varled, such as upon assembly of the door and locking means by selecting connection means having a different extent between the locking means and the closure member. The connection means may extend through openings in the locking means. The connection means may co-operate with the locking means at a plurallty of locations equidistant from the axis of pivotal movement of the locking means from the unlocked to the locked position.

According to a further aspect of the present invention a method of preventing unauthorised opening of a closure member comprises moving a closure member from an open position In which access to a housing can be gained to a closed position In which access to that housing cannot be so gained, and moving a locking means from an unlocked position to a locked position In which the locking means are capable of co-operating with the housing at at least two spaced locatlons to prevent unauthorised opening of the closure member.

The locking means may be moved In a common direction from the unlocked to the locked position, and that direction may be translatlonal or pivotal. The present invent Ion also Includes any combination of the hereln described features, Including a method of preventing unauthorised opening of a closure member when using a security arrangement as herein described.

Figure 1 Is a rear vlew of a door including a first locking plate in a locked position; Flgure 2 Is a view similar to Figure 1 with the plate in an unlocked position; Figure 3 Is a side view of the door and plate with the plate in the unlocked position; Figure 4 is a rear view of a door including a second locking plate In a locked position; Flgure 5 is a similar view to Flgure 4 with the plate in an unlocked position, and Figure 6 Is a side view of the door and plate with the plate In the unlocked position.

In one preferred embodiment of the present Invention as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 a plate 10 Is pivotally mounted on a door 12 about an axis 14. The plate 10 Is spaced from the door 12, as shown In Flgure 3, and Is fixed to one end of a lug 16 by a nut 18 which engages a threaded projection of the lug extending through the plate. The other end of the lug 16 extends Into the door 12 to co-operate with a lock 20 accessible from the front face 22 of the door.

The plate 10 Includes four arcuate slots 24 spaced equally around the axis 14 and each being on a common circumference with respect to that axis. Four studs 26 are welded to the rear face 28 of the door, and the studs each extend rearwardly, through a different slot 24 In the plate. A nut 30 is secured to the free end of the studs adJacent to the plate with the nuts being of a greater cross sectional area than the width of the slots.

In use, the door is mounted in or against a housing In the form of the frame of a cash box with the periphery of the rear face abutting a part of the frame to prevent inwards movement of the door.

In the unlocked position of the plate 10 the door may be pivoted or otherwise moved to a position in which access can be gained through the frame, for instance for removing money from a cash box of a machine.

When the door Is mounted in or against a frame, a key can be Inserted Into the lock 20 and pivoted to cause the plate 10 to pivot In an antlciockwlse direction into the locked position shown In Flgure 1. In that position four truncated corners 32 of the plate each extend beyond the periphery of a different edge of the door 12, and any attempted movement of the door away from the frame Is resisted by abutment of the front face 34 of the plate In the region of one or more of the corners with the frame.

The studs 26 abut with the ends of the slots to limit movement of the plate relative to the door in both the clockwise and anticlockwise directions. Furthermore, the nuts 30 each co-operate with the rear face 36 of the plate to prevent or limit movement of the plate away from the door such as may tend to occur if unauthorlsed entry Is attempted to be gained. If the unauthorlsed entry is attempted by exerting a levering force between one side of the door and the adJacent frame then the front face 34 of the plate in the reglon of the adJacent corner of the plate bears against the frame, and the resulting moment attempting to cause movement of the plate away from the door about the central lug 18 Is resisted by engagement of the plate with the nut on the stud 26 adJacent to where that force is applied.It can be seen that, regardless of which edge of the door a levering force is exerted, equal resistance to unauthorised entry Is afforded by a nut and stud which are adJacent to where the force Is being applied.

Although the door has been illustrated as being square In shape it is also possible for the illustrated locking plate to be fitted to a door which Is rectangular in shape. For Instance, the side and top edges of the door may be as illustrated with the lower edge of the door extending below the lowermost truncated corner of the plate in both the locked and unlocked positions. In this modified arrangement the frame within which the door is arranged to fit can be modified to Include a cross member at a greater height than the lower edge of the door, and the lowermost truncated corner can co-operate with that cross member when in the locked position.

The invention Is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment. For Instance, to make it easler to rotate the plate by means of a key, a gearing mechanism may be provided between the plate and a member rotatable by the key so that the authorised user has a mechanical advantage.

A second preferred embodiment differs from the first in that the locking plate 110 translates with respect to the door 112 from the locked position as depicted in Figure 4 to the unlocked position as depicted In Figure 5 by engagement of a cog 150 with the plate, which cog is turned by means of a key operated In a lock 120 by an authorised user. In the unlocked position the door is pivoted about a hinge 158 and the portion of the plate overlapping the hinge swings Inwardly and clear of the hinge. As shown in Figure 1, the locking plate engages with a housing at four locatlons 152 on the side of the door and at a single location 154 at the other side when a lever Is inserted between the housing and elther side of the door to attempt to force the door open.

In the second preferred embodIment the locking plate 110 Is spaced from the door 112 by four spacing members 126. The distance between the door and plate can be varied upon assembly by using spacing members of different extents In order that the door may fit different configuratlons of housings.

The door Includes a reinforcing bar 156 along its inner edge to resist bending of that part of the door should it be levered to prevent the front of the door moving away fro the plate 110 and thereby causing the cog 150 to come out of mesh with the plate.

The forward edges of the locatlons 152 of the plate are angled slightly Inwardly such that when the door Is In the closed position and the locking plate is moved to the closed position the plate does not tend to abut with the housing.

The cog 150 Is comprised by four plates stamped to the same configuration which are mounted on a common shaft. Accordingly the plate 110 and the cog 150 can be formed by a stamping operation and the components can be assembled quickly and easily.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A security arrangement Including a housing, a closure member and locking means, the closure member being movable between an open position in which access to within the housing can be gained and a closed position In which access to wlthin the housing cannot be so gained, the locking means being movable by an authorlsed person between a locked position in which, when the closure member is in the closed position, the locking means Is capable of co-operating with the housing at at least two spaced locations to prevent movement of the closure member to the open position and an unlocked position in which the closure member can be moved from the closed to the open position.

2. A security arrangement as claimed In Claim 1 In which the portions of the locking means which are capable of co-operating with the housing when the closure member is in the closed position and the locking means are in the locked position are arranged to move simultaneously from the locked position to the unlocked position.

3. A security arrangement as claimed In Clalm 2 In which sald portlons of the locking means are arranged to move in a common direction when moving from the locked position to the unlocked position.

4. A security arrangement as claimed In Claim 3 in which sald common direction Is translational.

5. A security arrangement as claimed in Claim 4 including an operating member connected to said portions of the locking means, the operating member being arranged to be pivoted to cause translational movement of said portlons of the locking means from the locked position to the unlocked position.

6. A security arrangement as claimed in Claim 4 In which at least one portion of the locking means which is capable of co-operating with the housing when the closure member is in the closed position and the locking means Is In the locked position is also capable of cooperating with the housing when the locking means is in the unlocked position to prevent movement of part of the closure member away from the housing.

7. A security arrangement as claimed In Claim 6 in which the closure member is mounted on the housing and said one portlon of the locking means Is located in the region of the mounting

8. A security arrangement as claimed in Claim 3 in which the common directlon is pivotal.

9. A security arrangement according to any preceding claim in which the locking means Includes an integral member capable of co-operating with the housing at at least two locations when the closure member is In the closed position and the locking means is In the locked position.

10. A security arrangement as claimed in Claim 9 in which the Integral member comprlses a plate.

11. A security arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim in which the locking means are mounted on the closure member.

12. A security arrangement as claimed in Claim 11 including connectlon means connecting the locking means to the closure member, the connection means permitting movement of the locking means In a first direction between the locked position and the unlocked position and the connection means restralning movement of the locking means relative to the closure member In a second direction transverse to the first direction.

13. A security arrangement as clalmed in Claim 12 in which the locking means abut the connection means to limit the degree of relative movement between the locking means and the closure member in the first direction.

14. A security arrangement as clalmed in Claim 12 or 13 in which the connectlon means extend through openings in the locking means.

15. A security arrangement as claimed In any preceding claim In which the portions of the locking means which are arranged to be capable of co-operating with the housing at at least two spaced locations to prevent movement of the closure member from the closed position to the open position when the locking means are In the locked position are spaced from the closure member.

16. A security arrangement as clalmed in Claim 15 in which the spacing of the portions from the closure member Is adJustable.

17. A security arrangement as claimed in any preceding clalm In which the spaced locations with which the locking means may co-operate with the housing when the locking means are In the locked position and the closure member Is in the closed position are located on opposed sides of an opening across which the closure member extends in the closed position.

18. A security arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Flgures 1, 2 and 3 or Flgures 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.

19. A method of preventing unauthorised opening of a closure member relative to a housing using locking means, the closure member being movable from an open position In which access to within said housing can be gained and a closed position In which access to within the housing cannot be so gained, the locking means being movable from an unlocked position to a locked position In which the locking means are capable of co-operating with the housing at at least two spaced locations to prevent movement of the closure member to the open position, the method comprlsing moving the closure member from the open position to the closed position and moving the locking means from the unlocked position to the locked position.

20. A method as claimed in Clalm 19 comprising moving the portions of the locking means which are capable of co-operating with the housing at at least two spaced locations from the unlocked position to the locked position in a common direction.

21. A method as claimed in Claim 20 comprising moving the portlons in a common translational direction.

22. A method as claimed in Clalm 20 comprising moving the portions in a common pivotal direction.

23. A method of preventing unauthorlsed opening of a closure member relative to a housing using locking means substantially as herein descrlbed with reference to, and as shown in Flgures 1, 2 and 3 or Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.

24. A method as clalmed In any of Claims 19 to 23 when using a security arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 18.