GB2265937A

GB2265937A - Portable door lock.

Info

Publication number: GB2265937A
Application number: GB9304473A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joseph Roby
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-04-07
Filing date: 1993-03-05
Publication date: 1993-10-13
Anticipated expiration: 2013-03-05
Also published as: GB2265937B; GB9207561D0; GB9304473D0

Abstract

A portable lack assembly (10) has a first member in the form of a body (11) which can be secured to an edge of a door (15) and a second member (23) adapted to be urged into engagement with surround structure such as a floor (37) and be locked as by mechanism (29 to 34) and padlock (36) to prevent opening of the door. <IMAGE>

Description

Lock This invention relates to a lock, particularly a portable lock for securing a door or like closure. Reference will be made throughout to a door, but it will be appreciated that the lock can be applicable to other closures such as windows, trap doors and the like.

When travelling, particularly in less civilised parts of the world, hotel or other accommodation security can be a problem.

Often hotel door locks are flimsy or non-existent and the usual ready availability of pass keys makes the leaving of valuables in such hotel rooms undesirable.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable lock which can be used to secure a door to a hotel room or the like. The lock can be used either to secure the room from within or to secure the room from outside whilst the occupant is absent.

The present invention provides a portable lock assembly including a first member adapted and arranged to be positionable in relation to an edge of a door, a second member connected to the first member and adapted to be urged relative to the first member from the body into locking engagement with structure facing an edge of the door and a lock capable of retaining the two members in their locking configuration.

The lock can be either key operated or can be a combination lock.

The first member can be provided with means whereby it can be secured to the door, such means being arranged so as not to be accessible when the assembly is locked. This can be achieved by such means being arranged to be on the inside of the room at all times.

The assembly can be arranged to operate in relation to any edge of a door, but a bottom edge is preferred as there is always a relatively solid floor adjacent the base of a door which can bear the locking force. Alternatively, however, the assembly can be arranged to operate on the vertical free edge of a door or its upper edge.

Desirably the movable relationship between the two members can include an over centre motion and the second member is adjustable so as to be capable of coping with doors having different spacings between their bottom edges and the floor.

The first member can be arranged so that it can be clamped to the door in two conditions, a first condition wherein the second member and lock are inside the space to be protected and a second position wherein the second member and lock are on the inside space to be protected.

To this end the first member can have detachable clamps which can be arranged on one or other side pairs such as detachable means such as cams or the like.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein; Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the lock in use on the outside of a space to be protected; Figure 2 is a plan view showing the lock in use but in the unlocked condition; and Figure 3 is a side elevation of the lock again in its locked condition.

The lock has a first member in the form of a generally U-shaped body (11). The U-shaped body (11) has a base plate (12) and upstanding front flange (13) and an upstanding rear flange (14).

The body (11) is provided with means whereby it can be clamped to an edge, usually a lower edge of a door (15) (which term includes, of course, a window, trap, panel or other closure for a space such as a hotel bedroom). The means for clamping the body (11) to the door (15) comprises a pair of clamp screws (16) carrying clamping shoes (17) and turnable by knobs (18). The screws (16) pass through nuts (19). Each of flanges (13) and (14) is provided with a pair of slots (20, 21) respectively and the nuts (19) are provided with complimentary opposed recesses which can engage the material of the flanges (13) (14) on the upper and lower edges of the slots. The recesses (22) on the material adjacent the slots (20) (21) is a reasonable sliding fit but sufficient to discourage easy loss when the lock is disconnected.

As illustrated in figures 1 and 3 the screws (16) are on the inside of the door and the main flange carrying the locking assembly is'on the outside of the door. This allows a person to leave a hotel room locked whilst absent. If a person wishes to ensure the security of the hotel room if the user wishes to be secure within a hotel room it is simply necessary to reverse the lock assembly of the invention and use the screws (16) in the slots (20) on the same side as the main locking arrangement.

The front flange (13) mounts a main locking assembly which includes the first member (23) which carries at its lower end a resilient foot (24). In fact the foot (24) is carried on a threaded spindle (25) which is engaged with the interior of a tube forming part of the first member (23). The allows the effective length of the first member (23) to be varied. Tube (26) is slidable within a guide (27) by brackets (28). At its upper end the member (23) is pivotally connected at (29) to a link (30).

The link (30) is angled and at its other end is pivoted at (31) to an intermediate position on part of a handle link (32). The handle link (32) is pivoted at (33) to a support bracket (33) extending outwardly from main flange (13) and is rivetted at (34) to a handle (35). The pivots (29) (33) (31) form an over centre mechanism and a lock (36) is provided, it can be a padlock or any other convenient portable lock.

In the.open condition of. the links (figure 3) the foot (24) at the bottom end of the first member (23) is raised clear of the floor (37) and the door (15) can open easily.

In the other condition the links (30 and 32) are overlapped and the pivots go over centre preventing force on the member (23) from opening the linkage. An aperture (38) in the handle link passes beyond the link (30) and by passing the padlock through that aperture the locking of the device is prevented. Of course, the user can operate the key to release the padlock to regain entry.

As will be appreciated the lock of the invention can be made entirely from sheet metal. The U-shaped second member with its flanges (14) and (13) can be made from one piece and the lock mount can be made from a second piece welded or rivetted thereto.

Alternatively, the two parts can be integrally fabricated or cast. Similarly the links and most of the handle can each also be made from a single piece of sheet metal united by rivets or the like.

The locking assembly of the invention is convenient to use and it can be used in connection with a wide range of doors of different thicknesses having different spaces between their lower edges and the floor. The device is robust and is not easily damaged by levering or sowing.

Of course, the precise construction of the lock can be varied significantly within the scope of the invention.

For example, a pair of interconnecting members can be provided which can be disposed between an edge of the door and surrounding structure such as the floor. The two members can be connected to a lock barrel or like locking assembly. Operation of the lock can be such as to urge the two members to expand or become separated so forming a lock between the edge of the door and the adjacent structure. The two members can be urged apart by being pivoted together either centrally or at the ends and urging them apart can be a screw or comparable mechanism operated via the lock, or operated independently of the lock but lockable by the lock into an movable condition.

The handle (25) can be bent or extended to enable it to be conveniently actuated by either hand or foot.

Many other variations are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A portable lock assembly including a first member adapted and arranged to be positionable in relation to an edge of a door, a second member connected to the first member and adapted to be urged relative to the first member from the body into locking engagement with structure facing an edge of the door and a lock capable of retaining the two members in their locking configuration.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lock is key operated or a combination lock.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the first member is provided with means whereby it can be secured to the door, such means being arranged so as not to be accessible when the assembly is locked.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein such means is arranged to be on the inside of the room at all times.

5. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, and arranged to operate in relation to a bottom edge of a door.

6. - An assembly as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, and arranged to operate on the vertical free edge of a door or its upper edge.

7. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the movable relationship between the two members can include an over centre motion.

8. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the second member is adjustable so as to be capable of coping with doors having different spacings between their edges and adjacent structure.

9. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first member can be arranged so that it can be clamped to the door i two conditions, a first condition wherein the second member and lock are inside the space to be protected and a second position wherein the second member and lock are on the inside space to be protected.

10. An assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein the first member has detachable clamps which can be arranged on one or other sides of the first structure.

11. A lock assembly substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.