GB2240809A

GB2240809A - Lock mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2240809A
Application number: GB9100407A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Colin R Hales; Robert S Green
Original assignee: Lenlok Hales Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Lenlok Hales Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1990-01-24
Filing date: 1991-01-09
Publication date: 1991-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 2011-01-09
Also published as: GB9100407D0; GB2240809B; AU6847790A; AU630264B2

Abstract

A rotatable member 1 has radial slots 2 which engage followers 3 on respective locking members 4, the rotatable member incorporating peripheral locating notches 5 such that when the locking members are fully extended the followers are located within the notches and cannot be pushed back into the slots 1 unless the rotatable member is rotated to locate the followers in the slots. The notches may have a limited angular extent (Figs. 6 to 9). The member 1 may be operated by a handle and a key or combination cylinder lock and located with the members 4 in a housing 7 located on a tilting or roller door. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVED SELF LOCK MECHANISM This invention relates to locks and in particular to an improved lock mechanism adapted to service garage doors or other large doors having the locking bolts distanced from the key mechanism.

The ability to activate locking pins at a distance from a key mechanism finds application in a number of situations. For instance, it may be desirable to activate multiple locking pins in order to obtain multiple servicing points for a large door where a single point lock would not be secure. Alternatively, a convenient and secure locking point for a door may differ from a convenient key point and hence require the distancing of the two mechanisms.

A particularly common occurrence of the above situation is a vertically opening garage door where the key mechanism is desirably located in the centre of the door at a height comfortable to reach without having to bend down. The locking bolts however must be located at a point either on the door jamb or in the floor. In order to accomplish this a variety of mechanisms have been manufactured incorporating locks and locking bolts attached to extended arms.

Common to many of the available mechanisms however are one or more design limitations. Namely the arms and locking bolts do not always have a selflock action, such that, when the bolts have been activated it is possible to retract the arms and unlock the door by simply reaching between the door and jamb to push the bolts back. It is therefore essential to incorporate an adequate selflock mechanism in order to properly secure a door of the vertical garage type.

A number of selflock mechanisms are available and they all render the locking bolts immobile in the locked position unless activated by a key or handle located inside the door.

However the selflock mechanisms to date have suffered limitations in that they commonly act by directly locating the locking arms and bolts to the lock key mechanism itself. Whereas in theory this principle functions to adequately selflock the mechanism it also places severe stress on the key mechanism itself and is therefore limited in its security and strength.

An improved form of selflock mechanism is disclosed in Australian Patent 518869 which incorporates an intermediate activator for the arms which is capable of moving the arms via roller pins into extended position wherein the pins are then located in such a position relative to the arms that it is not possible to push the roller pins back by pushing the arms due to the substantial elimination of the tangential component of the force direction. Any movement of the arms in the extended position results in force being applied in a radial direction only which cannot cause the intermediate activator to rotate and hence retract the arms. The mechanism of Australian Patent 518869 involves a complex array of components and is expensive to manufacture.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved selflock mechanism particularly for adaptation to vertical opening garage doors.

Accordingly, the invention provides a locking mechanism comprising a rotatable member having at least one substantially radial slot adapted to engage a follower member on a locking member, said rotatable member incorporating a locating notch positioned at or near the periphery of said rotatable member and shaped such that when the locking member is fully extended the follower member is located within said locating notch and cannot be pushed back into the slot unless the rotatable member is rotated toward the open position.

The rotatable member may incorporate a plurality of slots adapted to engage a matching plurality of follower members; however two slots on diametrically opposed sides of the rotatable member are preferred such that the locking members are caused to act in opposite directions by engagement of follower members from opposite sides. The locating notch is preferably situated immediately adjacent the radial slot to facilitate immediate self-locking.

The rotatable member may incorporate a locking mechanism operable by a key combination and/or internal handle.

The locating notch may terminate at distance around the periphery of the rotatable member so as to facilitate different degrees of rotation of the rotatable member.

The locating notch may terminate at a distance to facilitate a 90" rotation of rotatable member. Alternatively, the locating notch may terminate at a greater distance to facilitate a 1800 rotation of the rotatable member with the ffect of allowing a deadlock mechanism to activate.

Preferably the mechanism includes a fascia for attachment to the outside of a door said fascia incorporating a cylinder lock adapted to engage said rotatable member; a backing plate adapted to incorporate said rotatable member and to co-operate with said fascia such that said locking members fit into channels located on the backing plate and allow the locking members to be activated by either a key or an internal handle.

The invention will be described in greater detail by reference to two preferred embodiments where figures 1 to 5 detail a deadlocking mechanism having 1800 rotation. Figures 6 to 10 detail a mechanism having a 900 rotation.

Figure 1 is a perspective exploded view of the mechanism.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the mechanism in the unlocked or open position.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the mechanism in the locked or closed position.

Figures 4 and 5 detail dimensional preferences for the mechanism.

Figures 6 to 10 detail similar views and dimensions for the 900 rotatable mechanism.

The lock mechanism as shown in figures 1 and 6 incorporate a central rotatable member 1 adapted to locate into a housing recess 6 incorporated within the backing plate 7. The rotatable member is free to rotate by operation of a cylinder key mechanism 8 or a handle extension. 9 of said rotatable member.

Locking members 4 sit flush inside the said backing plate, against the rotatable member 1, and protrude out from either side through openings 10. The lockable members incorporate follower members 3 which engage the radial slots 2 when said lockable members are positioned against the backing plate.

The operation of the mechanism is clear when reference is made to figures 2 and 3 or 7 and 8. Figure 2 shows the rotatable member.in the unlocked or open position. From this position the slot 2 of the rotatable member 1 fully engages the follower member 3 at the beginning of the slot 2 avoiding any interference with the locating notch 5. Upon rotation in an anticlockwise direction (as viewed in figure 2), the follower members begin to follow the slot as a cam and translate the rotary movement of the rotatable member into a linear movement of the locking member. The relative eccentric motion of the follower is absorbed by the radial slot which prevents the follower jamming as the it approaches the centre of the rotating member.

Upon full rotation into the locked position, (see figure 3), the follower member 3 leaves the slot 2 and slides along the periphery of the rotating member in the locating notch 5. Once fully rotated it can be seen that the locating notch 5 has now engaged the follower member 3 such that any movement or force applied to open the locking member will jam the follower in the locating notch rather than allow it to return down the radial slot as the follower is not able to move toward the centre of the rotating member without the radial slot. The inability of the rotating member to be forced around by the arms 4 ensures a secure self-lock action.

The 1800 mechanism is particularly suited to deadlock applications where a deadlock type locking mechanism may be incorporated.

The 900 mechanism operates in an identical fashion but operates with a smaller amount of rotation of the rotatable member.

Furthermore when the mechanism may incorporate a keyed lock the mechanism to be used to lock the mechanism in both open and closed modes.

EXAMPLE Upon application to a vertical opening type door, the backing plate and barrel housing are assembled to sandwich the rotatable member and its locking members. The sandwich assembly may then be secured to the inside of a suitable door by bolting or screwing to an external fascia applied to the outside of the door. The barrel housing thus protrudes through to the exterior of the door to enable a cylinder lock and exterior handle to be fitted. Upon fitting, the locking members can be threaded across the length of the door and adapted to engage suitable points on the door jamb.

The operation of the lock is not different to that of existing types of mechanisms however the thrust of the instant invention is the total security offered once the locking members are located in the locked position, as it is not possible to return them without effecting rotation of the rotatable member.

As can be seen from the foregoing, the instant invention allows an effective locking mechanism to be produced in a simple minimum component form for assembly directly to a door. The mechanism is simple and reliable due to the presence of only two or three moving parts and strong due to the integral nature of the rotatable member and the backing plate in the assembled mechanism. The disadvantages of the prior mechanism are thus eliminated with no use of delicate pins and intermediate activators which all contribute to wear and jamming.

Claims

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A locking mechanism comprising a rotatable member having at least one substantially radial slot adapted to engage a follower member on a locking member, said rotatable member incorporating a locating notch positioned at or near the periphery of said rotatable member and shaped such that when the locking member is fully extended the follower member is located within said locating notch and cannot be pushed back into the slot unless the rotatable member is rotated toward the open position.

2. A locking mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the rotatable member has a plurality of radial slots adapted to engage a plurality of follower members.

3. A locking mechanism according to claim 2 wherein the rotatable member has two diametrically opposed radial slots such that the corresponding follower and locking members are caused to act in opposite directions upon rotation of said rotatable member.

4. A locking mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said locating notch is located at the periphery of said rotating member adjacent the said radial slot.

5. A locking mechanism according to claim 4 wherein said locating notch extends around the periphery so as to allow a rotation of said rotatable member of about 900 from open to closed position.

6. A locking mechanism according to claim 4 wherein said locating notch extends around the periphery so as to allow a rotation of said rotatable member of about 800 from open to closed position.

7. A locking mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said rotatable member incorporates a handle for activating said mechanism.

8. A locking mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said rotatable member incorporates a key or combination operable cylinder lock.

9. A locking mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein said rotatable member and said locking members sit flush within a backing plate such that a corresponding barrel housing secured to said backing plate serves to sandwich said rotatable member and locking members wherein said rotatable member is free to rotate and protrude or withdraw said locking members from said sandwich.

10. A locking mechanism according to claim 9 wherein said rotatable member incorporates a handle and is located within a recess in said backing plate which recess is open so as to enable said handle to be accessed and facilitate operation of the mechanism from a side opposite to that of the lockable side.

11. A locking mechanism according to any one of claims 9 or 10 adapted for use on a vertically operating tilt or roller type door wherein the backing plate and barrel housing sandwich are secured to the inside of said door with the locking members protruding the width of said door and adapted to lock said door.

12. A locking mechanism according to claim 11 further incorporating a fascia adapted to fit on the exterior of said door upon alignment with the internal backing plate and barrel housing sandwich.

13. A locking mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein said rotatable member incorporates an exterior handle to facilitate operation of said mechanism.

14. A mechanism according to any one of claims 8 to 13 wherein said exterior handle is formed integral with said cylinder lock.

15. A mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 14 substantially as hereinbefore described with particular reference to the examples and representative figures 1 to 10.