GB2244306A - A lock - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to a lock and in particular, but not exclusively, to locks for use with door and window furniture. The lock 10 comprises a body 13, a barrel 14 received within the body 13 and rotatable with respect to it, a cap 13 rotatably mounted on the body 13 and a latch 12, which is located generally below the barrel 14 to extend laterally out of the body 13. A spring (not shown) urges the lock into its unlocked position. The cap 15 has a profile cross-section slot 20 and the barrel has a similar slot 18. Intermediate the slots 20 and 18 is a larger unprofiled portion 17. <IMAGE>

Description

A Lock This invention relates to locks and in particular, but not exclusively, to locks for use with door and window furniture.

Crime prevention publicity has encouraged the use of locks in window handles and the like.

It has become apparent that unless these can be engaged simply they are not used and the most common approach is to have a lock which can be engaged simply by pushing in a "button". Such a lock can be provided with an Allen key or other simple tool, but the consumer feels more content if the unlocking movement is achieved with a conventional "Yale" style key. Currently almost all manufacturers use a tumbler lock which is expensive to manufacture, but in most cases provides only limited security because all the products of a particular manufacturer are commonly capable of being opened by a single key profile.

The invention consists in a lock comprising a barrel having a profiled longitudinal key slot, a latch element mounted for locking movement in response to longitudinal movement of the barrel in one direction and for unlocking in response to rotation of the barrel by a key in the slot, means for urging the barrel in the other longitudinal direction and cap means defining a slot matching the key slot and being rotatably mounted on the barrel to prevent access to the barrel slot other than by a key or the like having the correct cross-sectional profile.

The lock may further comprise a locking element comprising a body having a recess for receiving the barrel and a locking extension projecting in said one direction for engaging a detent when the barrel is moved in the one direction.

In a preferred embodiment the body is in the form of an inverted cup and is snap-fittingly engaged on the body.

In any of the above cases a first section of the slot, in the one direction, may be unprofiled and that section may be larger than a second profiled section. The first section may be generally cylindrical.

It will be understood that, although the invention has been defined above, it includes any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the following description. The invention may be performed in various ways a specific embodiment of which will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompany drawings in which; Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lock; Figure 2 is an end view of the lock of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the line Y-Y; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along the line X-X; and Figure 5 illustrates a key for use with the lock.

Figure 1 illustrates a lock 10 which is intended to be received within an open bottomed recess in one of a pair of relatively movable parts such that its locking pin 11 extends through the bottom of the recess and can lock in an opening in the other part so as to prevent movement between the two parts. A spring-loaded latch 12 is provided on the lock 10 to spring outwardly into a latch position when the lock 10 is moved axially such that the pin 11 enters into the opening. Hence the latch 12 can hold the lock 10 in this locking position.

The lock 10 comprises a body 13, a barrel 14 received within the body 13 and rotatable with respect to it, a cap 15 rotatably mounted on the body 13 and the latch 12 which is located generally below the barrel 14 to extend laterally out of the body 13. A spring (not shown) surrounds the pin 11 to urge the lock 10 into its unlocked position.

The barrel 14 has a longitudinal slot 16 formed from its "upper" end. The slot comprises a first generally cylindrical portion 17 and a second narrower portion 18 which is configured with the cross-section corresponding to the cross-section of a key 19. A cap 15 has a slot 20 of the same =ross- section or profile as that of the second portion 18.

The bottom of the barrel 14 is configured, in a known manner, to withdraw the latch 12 when the barrel is rotated about its axis.

In use the lock 10 can be engaged simply by pushing it axially (from right to left in Figure 3) whereupon the pin 11 will engage in the opening on the other portion and the latch 12 will spring into an opening on the first portion which is provided in the wall of the recess. When it is desirable to unlock the lock 10, the key 18 is inserted into the slot 20 and when that is aligned with the second portion 18 it can be pushed right into the barrel. The barrel 14 can then be rotated withdrawing the latch 12 and the lock is then driven into its unlocked position by the return spring (not shown).

It will be seen therefore that the above lock provides an equal security to the tumbler locks mentioned above but is of far simpler construction and can be assembled without skilled labour or special machines. Thus the end cap can be snapfitted on to the body 13 after the latch 12 and barrel 14 have been located therein. The provision of the first section 17 which does not provide any surfaces which can be readily engaged by a tool, means that the lock can only be opened if the second section is penetrated. As this is profiled to match a particular key cross-section it is particularly difficult to unlock the lock using screwdrivers, hairpin or the like. These difficulties are increased by the provision of the rotatable end cap which not only make it a greater reach into the second portion 18 but also again provides the profiled entry.

Claims (7)

1. A lock comprising a barrel having a profiled longitudinal key slot, a latch element mounted for locking movement in response to longitudinal movement of the barrel in one direction and for unlocking movement in response to rotation of the barrel by a key in the slot, means for urging the barrel in the other longitudinal direction and cap means defining a slot matching the key slot and being rotatably mounted on the barrel to prevent access to the barrel slot other than by a key or the like having the correct crosssectional profile.

2. A lock as claimed in Claim 1 further comprising a locking element comprising a body having a recess for receiving the barrel and a locking extension extending in said -one direction for engaging a detent when the barrel is moved in the one direction.

3. A lock as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the cap is in the form of an inverted cup and is snap fittingly engaged on the body.

4. A lock as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein in a first section of the slot, in the one direction, is unprofiled.

5. A lock as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the unprofiled section is larger than a second, profiled, section.

6. A lock as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5 wherein the first section is generally cylindrical.

7. A lock substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.