GB2257196A

GB2257196A - Door lock set with lockable selector

Info

Publication number: GB2257196A
Application number: GB9212437A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Pekka Lauren; Juha Salminen
Original assignee: Abloy Security Ltd Oy
Current assignee: Abloy Oy
Priority date: 1991-06-19
Filing date: 1992-06-11
Publication date: 1993-01-06
Anticipated expiration: 2012-06-11
Also published as: FI87682C; DK80092A; NO922399L; GB9212437D0; SE9201836D0; FI912983A0; SE9201836L; NO922399D0; GB2257196B; FI87682B; DK80092D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a door lock, including a lock housing (1), which is provided with a front plate (2) and which comprises a reciprocatingly movable latch bolt (3), an operation axis (5) for a key-operated lock mechanism (not shown), force transmission means for moving the latch bolt (3) from the operation axis (5) from a protruding locking position into a retracted releasing position, and a movable selector element (11) for changing the operational properties of the door lock. The lock is further provided with a locking element (14) supported to the lock housing (1) and being movable, by means of said force transmission means in association with the key-operated lock mechanism, from a blocking position, in which it prevents movement of the selector element (11), into an enabling position, in which it allows movement of the selector element (11), respectively. <IMAGE>

Description

DOOR LOCK The invention relates to a door lock according to the preamble of claim 1.

One problem in door locks, in which the operational properties can be changed from the outside of the lock housing by means of a selector element movable into different selector positions, is that the selector element can be used by anyone. As a consequence of a possible misuse of the selector element the operation of the door may be disturbed. For instance a door meant to remain open may get locked, or a door meant to be locked may be unlocked.

The arrangements shown in patent publications US-A1169541, US-A-2837906 and WO 84/02157 (figures 9 and 10) are based on the fact that it is possible only through a keyoperated locking mechanism to act on a selector element, which affects the operational properties of the lock. The arrangements are complicated, require a lot of space and incur costs. In addition it may be cumbersome to use an auxiliary key of this kind with the result that the selector element may often remain unlocked. Finnish Patent 76620 for its part shows an arrangement, in which the selector element can be locked into a certain selector position by means of an installation screw turnable by means of a separate tool, which is cumbersome from the viewpoint of a user.

One aim of this invention is to provide a constructionally advantageous door lock, that enables versatile operational possibilities and selection thereof according to need by using a separate selector element, but from which the drawbacks appearing in the known arrangements as described above can essentially be eliminated. A special aim is to facilitate operation of the selector element in combination with a reduction (and preferably elimination) of the risk of misuse of the selector element in an uncomplicated way.

The aims of the invention can be met with the arrangement in accordance with the invention according to which the door lock is provided with a locking element supported to the lock housing and being movable, by means of a force transmission means in association with key operation, from a blocking position, in which it prevents movement of the selector element, into an enabling position, in which it allows movement of the selector element, respectively. In this way, movement and changing of the position of the selector element is possible only for those who have the correct key for the locking mechanism, for instance a cylinder lock, installed in a conventional way at the operation axis of the door lock, and thus the movement of the selector element presumes availability of and normal use of the correct key.

An arrangement with favourable function is accomplished when the selector element is movable, in a way known as such, in a direction normal to both the directions of movement of the latch bolt of the lock and the operation axis (herein referred to as the longitudinal direction of the lock) through an opening provided in a front plate of the lock, the selector element being provided with a member for restricting the movement of the latch bolt in a certain position of the selector element.

In practice the selector element and the locking element may be provided with a set of stop surfaces, which in the blocking position of the locking element are arranged in cooperation so that they, in each selection position of the selector element, together prevent movement of the selector element from one selection position to another.

The locking element is desirably turnably supported to the lock housing and spring-loaded towards its blocking position. In this way, movement of the locking element through key operation from the blocking position into the enabling position can with advantage be implemented.

A favourable solution, from the viewpoint of arranging the operational properties of the lock, can be accomplished when said force transmission means is arranged to move the latch bolt through the locking element. In this case a follower member, turnable with a key, may be installed at the operation axis and arranged to move the locking element through a force transmission lever turnably supported to the lock housing.

The turnable force transmission lever can, with advantage, include two cams, which are arranged in cooperation with the said key-turnable follower member so that turning of the follower member by a key in either turning direction causes turning of the force transmission lever in a direction in which the locking element moves into its enabling position, and at the same time the latch bolt moves under the influence of the locking element from its protruding position into its retracted position in the lock housing.

For providing versatile operational properties, the lock housing is suitably provided with dead-locking means movable substantially in the longitudinal direction of the lock housing, the locking element being provided with an effecting member, for instance with a protrusion, which is arranged to move, under the influence of the turning movement of the locking element, the dead-locking means from a dead-locking position into a position releasing the latch bolt. Correspondingly the selector element is, at least in one of its selector positions, arranged to restrict the range of movement of the dead-locking means so that the latter prevents movement of the dead-locking means into a position where it will dead lock the latch bolt.

The lock can further be provided with a spring for keeping the selector element in its selector position where it is not locked by the locking element. In this way, inadvertent movement of the selector element from one selector position to another after normal opening by the key of the lock can be prevented.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the separate Figures show, in cross-section, one embodiment of a door lock according to the invention in different positions of operation. In the drawings, - Fig. 1 shows the lock with the latch bolt and an auxiliary bolt protruding from the lock housing and the selector element in a central position, whereby dead-locking is prevented, - Fig 2 shows the lock with the latch bolt and the auxiliary bolt locked in the withdrawn positions and the selector element in a lower position, - Fig. 3 shows the lock with the latch bolt dead-locked, the auxiliary bolt withdrawn and the selector element in an upper position, which corresponds to the closed and dead-locked position of the door, and - Fig. 4 shows the lock in a condition, where the latch bolt and the auxiliary bolt are both protruding from the lock housing and the latch bolt is drawn somewhat towards the lock housing so that the position of the selector element can freely be selected, a condition which can take place only when a door mounting the lock is opened.

In the drawings 1 indicates a lock housing of a door lock including a front plate 2. The lock housing 1 is provided with a latch bolt 3, which is urged by a spring 4 into a position protruding out from the lock housing. The lock housing 1 includes an operation axis 5, provided for installation of a key-operated lock mechanism, for instance a cylinder lock (not shown in the Figures), for moving the latch bolt 3 from its protruding position into its retracted position in the lock housing 1.

A follower member 6 is installed at the operation axis 5. The follower member 6 is turnable in either turning direction by means of said key-operated lock mechanism so that it acts on a force transmission lever 9 turnably supported on a pin 7, turning it always in the same direction (anti-clockwise as illustrated). For this purpose the force transmission lever 9 is provided with a cam 9a, on which the follower member 6 acts directly, as well as with a cam 9b, on which the follower member 6 acts through an element 10 movable in the longitudinal direction of the lock housing 1. The lock housing 1 further includes a selector element 11, which is movable between different selector positions so as to thereby influence the operational properties of the lock as will be described in more detail later.This movement takes place by manual operation of a setting member ila protruding through an opening 12 in the front plate 2. In order to prevent the selector element 11 being moved inadvertently or advertently into an incorrect position from the viewpoint of the desired functions of the lock, the lock housing 1 includes a locking element 14 turnably supported in the housing 1 on a pin 13 and including, for a locking pin 15 of the selector element 11, stop surfaces 16a, 16b and 16c, which correspond upper central and lower selector positions of the selector element 11. A spring 17 urges the locking element 14 towards the blocking position of the selector element 11.

Correspondingly, a spring 18 holds the selector element 11 in any one of its selector positions when not being blocked by the locking element 14 and manually moved into another selector position.

The force transmission lever 9 also includes a cam 9c, which acts on a shoulder 14a of the locking element 14. The locking element 14, for its part, includes in addition an elongated protrusion 14b acting on a shoulder 3a of the latch bolt 3. Hence, turning of the locking element 14 through the force transmission lever 9, by means of key operation from the operation axis 5, causes firstly movement of the latch bolt 3 from the protruding position inside the lock housing 1 and at the same time the selector element 11 is released from the influence of the locking element 14, as is apparent from Figure 4, and thus, it can be manually set into different selector positions as desired when the door is open.

The selector element 11 also includes protrusions llb and lic. As apparent from Figure 2, in the lower position of the selector element 11, the protrusion llb together with the shoulder 3a on the latch bolt 3 hold the latch bolt 3 wholly within the lock housing 1. The protrusion lic for its part is arranged to act on the operation of the deadlocking means, which will be described later.

The dead-locking means includes a plate-like deadlocking element 19, a shoulder 19a of which prevents, in the dead-locking position together with the shoulder 3a on the latch bolt 3, movement of the latch bolt into the lock housing 1, as is apparent from Figure 3. A pin 23 restricts the movements of the dead-locking element 19 to the longitudinal direction of the lock housing. In addition the dead-locking element 19 is provided with pins 20 and 21. A spring 22 urges the dead-locking means through the pin 20 towards the dead-locking position. The pin 21, for its part, is in cooperation with the protrusion 14b of the locking element 14 so that when the latch bolt 3 is being drawn into the lock housing 1 through key operation, the protrusion 14b first presses the dead-locking means away from the dead-locking position by means of the pin 21.

The dead-locking element 19 is also provided with a protrusion l9b, which is arranged to cooperate with the protrusion lic of the selector element 11 so that in the central and lower positions of the selector element 11, it prevents movement of the dead-locking means into the deadlocking position as is apparent from Figures 1 and 2. On the other hand when the selector element 11 is in the upper position, as shown in Figure 3, dead-locking of the latch bolt 3 can be accomplished.

By virtue of the latch bolt 3, a door provided with a door lock in accordance with the invention can be shut merely by pushing the door closed, because when the conventionally-provided bevelled surface (not shown) of the latch bolt 3 hits a striker plate provided for the lock in the door frame (also not shown in the Figures), the latch bolt 3 is pressed into the lock housing 1 against the force of the spring 4. In the case of Figure 3, with the selector element 11 in its upper selector position allowing deadlocking, the dead-locking means would normally prevent closing of the door by pushing it in the described manner.

This is prevented by providing the lock, in a known way, with an auxiliary bolt 8.

The head of the auxiliary bolt 8 is also provided with bevelled surfaces and a spring 24 urges the auxiliary bolt 8 into a position where it protrudes out from the lock housing 1. The auxiliary bolt 8 includes a plate-like part 8a (see Figure 4) with an opening 25. A pin 26 guides the movements of the auxiliary bolt 8 together with the lower edge of the opening 25. The upper edge of the opening 25 is formed so that it guides the dead-locking means appropriately in accordance with the different conditions for the operation. As is shown in Figure 3, which corresponds to the closed position of the door and in which the latch bolt 3 is dead-locked, the striker plate for the lock in the door frame keeps the auxiliary bolt 8 inside the lock housing. Then the guiding edge of the opening 25 for its part allows movement of the dead-locking means into the dead-locking position.The situation shown in Figure 4 for its part refers to the opened position of the door, whereby the auxiliary bolt 8 is in the protruding position urged by the spring 24. In this case dead-locking is prevented by the guiding edge of the opening 25 through the pin 20, whereby the door can be closed by pushing.

The auxiliary bolt 8 is additionally provided with a protrusion 8b so that when the latch bolt 3 is being withdrawn at a certain phase it simultaneously pulls with it also the auxiliary bolt 8 (cf. Figure 4).

For ensuring versatile operating possibilities for different situations, the embodiment of the lock housing 1 shown in the drawing is also provided with a second operation axis 27 for installation of a follower 28, which is turnable by means of a handle, a turning knob or the like (not shown) and by means of which the latch bolt 3 is movable into the lock housing 1. The follower 28 has no effect, however, on dead-locking of the lock.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment shown, since several modifications of the illustrated design are feasible within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A door lock, including a lock housing, which is provided with a front plate and which comprises a reciprocatingly movable latch bolt, a first operation axis for a key-operated lock mechanism, force transmission means for moving the latch bolt from the operation axis from a protruding locking position into a retracted releasing position, and a movable selector element for changing the operational properties of the door lock, wherein the lock is provided with a locking element supported to the lock housing and being movable, by means of said force transmission means in association with key operation at said first operation axis, from a blocking position, in which it prevents movement of the selector element, into an enabling position, in which it allows movement of the selector element, respectively.

2. A door lock according to claim 1, wherein the selector element is movable in a longitudinal direction of the lock through an opening in the front plate of the lock and is provided with a member for restricting the movement of the latch bolt in a certain selection position of the selector element.

3. A door lock according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the selector element and the locking element are provided with a set of stop surfaces, which in the blocking position of the locking element are arranged in cooperation so that they, in each selection position of the selector element, together prevent movement of the selector element from one selection position to another.

4. A door lock according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the locking element is turnably supported to the lock housing.

claims, wherein the locking element is spring-loaded towards its blocking position.

6. A door lock according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said force transmission means is arranged to move the latch bolt through the locking element.

7. A door lock according to claim 6, wherein a follower member, turnable with a key at said first operation axis, is installed to turn about the first operation axis and is arranged to move the locking element through a force transmission lever turnably supported to the lock housing.

8. A door lock according to claim 7, wherein the turnable force transmission lever includes two cams, which are arranged in cooperation with said key-turnable follower member so that turning of the follower member by a key at said first operation axis in either turning direction causes turning of the force transmission lever in a direction in which the locking element moves into its enabling position, and at the same time the latch bolt moves under the influence of the locking element from the protruding position into the retracted position in the lock housing.

9. A door lock according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lock housing is provided with deadlocking means movable substantially in the longitudinal direction of the lock housing to and from a dead-locking position and wherein the locking element is provided with an effecting member, for instance with a protrusion, which is arranged to move, under the influence of the turning movement of the locking element, the dead-locking means from the dead-locking position into a position releasing the latch bolt.

10. A door lock according to claim 9, wherein the selector element is, at least in one of its selection positions, arranged to restrict the range of movement of the dead-locking means so that it prevents movement of the deadlocking means into a position for dead-locking the latch bolt.

11. A door lock according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lock is provided with a spring for keeping the selector element in a chosen selector position when not being locked by the locking element.

12. A door lock substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.