GB2267119A

GB2267119A - Lock for a camper,caravan or motor home door

Info

Publication number: GB2267119A
Application number: GB9216521A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dino Cappellari; Eugenio Libera
Original assignee: VECAMPLAST Srl
Current assignee: VECAMPLAST Srl
Priority date: 1992-04-24
Filing date: 1992-08-04
Publication date: 1993-11-24
Also published as: IT228024Y1; DE4226127A1; ITPD920048V0; ITPD920048U1; GB9216521D0; FR2690705A1

Abstract

A lock for a camper, caravan or motor home door has a wall-mountable portion attachable to a wall adjacent to a door and comprising a pin (T); and a door-mountable portion attachable to the door and comprising biassing means and first and second pivotable elements (R1, R2), the first element (R1) having a first recess (I3) and a cavity (G) for receiving the pin (T) and the second element (R2) having a projection (D) arranged, upon the pin (T) entering the cavity (G) and pivoting the first element in a forward direction, to enter the first recess (13) under the biassing action of the biassing means to prevent pivoting of the first element (R1) in the reverse direction and release of the pin. The second element (R2) is pivotable to release the projection (D) from the first recess (13) thereby to enable the biassing means to pivot the first element in the reverse direction to release the pin. <IMAGE>

Description

2267119 LOCK FOR A CAMPER, CARAVAN OR MOTOR HOME DOOR The present

invention relates to a lock suitable for a camper, caravan or motor home door.

At present, camper doors are kept closed by simple spring latches controlled by a handle and key. These latches can be easily opened and, moreover, they are not in conformity with the EEC directive 70/387.

According to the present invention there is provided a lock for a camper, caravan or motor home door, comprising: a wall-mountable portion attachable to a wall adjacent to a door and comprising a pin; and a doormountable portion attachable to the door and comprising biassing means and first and second pivotable elements, the first element having a first recess and a cavity for receiving the pin and the second element having a projection arranged, upon the pin entering the cavity and pivoting the first element in a forward direction, to enter the first recess under the biassing action of the biassing means to prevent pivoting of the first element in the reverse direction and release of the pin, wherein the second element is pivotable to release the projection from the first recess thereby to enable the biassing means to pivot the first element in the reverse direction to release the pin.

In use, the second element is pivoted by operating a door handle, thereby to release the pin and permit the door to be opened. The lock resists involuntary opening and can stand up to head-on and lateral collisions, as required by the above-mentioned EEC directive.

Preferably, the arrangement is such that the mouth of the cavity is gradually closed by the second element as the first element pivots in the forward direction. The closure does not need to be total. It only needs to be sufficient to prevent the pin from being involuntarily released by escaping through a gap between the two elements when the projection is in the first recess.

The invention will now be described by way of a non-limiting embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figures la to lc show three positions of the lock as it closes; and Figure 2 in a section along the line Z-Z of the closed lock of Figure lc.

The lock has two flat elements R1, R2 which are pivotably mounted on a couple of plates P that are fixed to a door, e.g. a camper door. The first flat element Rl, pivotably mounted on the plates about point H1, has a cavity in its edge that is shaped in such a way as to house a mushroom-shaped pin T fixed to a wall. In the edge of the first element Rl, near the cavity G, there are three notches Il, 12, 13.

The second flat element R2 is pivotably mounted on the plates P about point H2 and is provided with a tooth or pawl D. The second element R2 is positioned in such a way as to allow the tooth D to position itself easily in the notches Il, 12, 13 of the first flat element RI.

A spring, which is not shown in the Figures, is fixed between points M1 and M2 of the two elements R1, R2 and constantly biases the tooth D against the edge of the first element Rl and into the notches Il, 12, 13 that have been made in it. The second element R2 is connected to a handle through some mechanism not shown in the Figures that acts on the point X of the second element R2.

In Figure la, the door is being closed. In this situation, the first element Rl moves its cavity towards the mushroom-shaped pin T and is kept in this position by the tooth D of the second element R2, that fits into the notch Il of the first element Rl most distant from the cavity; furthermore, in this position the spring exerts a moderate force in order to keep the contact between the tooth D and the notch Il.

Drawing the door closer to the fixed wall (Figure lb), the cavity G is pressed against the mushroom-shaped pin T. The first element R1 rotates clockwise, thus keeping the pin T between the cavity and the second element R2. Also, the second element R2, because of the effect of the elastic element between M1 and M2, is partially rotated, thus moving its tooth D into the middle notch 12. In this position the spring, more stretched than in the previous position, exerts a greater force to keep the two elements Rl, R2 pressed together (half-closed door).

A further, moderate push of the door towards the wall makes the first element Rl further rotate clockwise and brings the tooth D of the second element R2 into the notch 13 of the first element R1 that is nearest to the cavity G. In this position of total closure, the mushroom-shaped pin T is held between the cavity G and the second element R2; the tooth D of the second element R2 is received in the notch 13 that is nearest to the cavity G and the spring exerts its maximum force to keep the tooth D in the notch 13.

To release the mushroom-shaped pin and to be able to open the door, it is necessary to activate the handle so as to act on the point X to rotate the second element R2 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure lc. The second element R2 is rotated anticlockwise, moving its tooth D away from the notches I of the first element Rl. This enables the stretched spring to rotate the first element Rl anticlockwise, thereby releasing the mushroom-shaped pin T and returning the lock back to its original position (Figure la).

The above is a basic outline of one embodiment of the invention, on the basis of which the man skilled in the art will be able to implement the invention. Upon implementation, certain variants may be made, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A lock for a camper, caravan or motor home door, comprising:

wall-mountable portion attachable to a wall adjacent to a door and comprising a pin; and door-mountable portion attachable to the door and comprising biassing means and first and second pivotable elements, the first element having a first recess and a cavity for receiving the pin and the second element having a projection arranged, upon the pin entering the cavity and pivoting the first element in a forward direction, to enter the first recess under the biassing action of the biassing means to prevent pivoting of the first element in the reverse direction and release of the pin, wherein the second element is pivotable to release the projection from the first recess thereby to enable the biassing means to pivot the first element in the reverse direction to release the pin.

2. A lock according to claim 1, wherein the first element has a second recess and the projection of the second element is arranged, upon the pin entering the cavity and pivoting the first element in the forward direction, to enter the second recess under the biassing action of the biassing means to prevent pivoting of the first element in the reverse direction and release of the pin, with the projection being movable from the second recess to the first recess upon the pin in the cavity causing further pivoting of the first element in the forward direction.

3. A lock according to claim 2, wherein the biassing means is arranged to exert a bigger biassing force on the projection when the projection is in the second recess than when the projection is in the first recess.

4. A lock according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first element has a third recess and the projection of the second element is arranged, before the pin enters the cavity and starts to pivot the first element in the forward direction, to be located in the third recess and to be biassed to remain therein by the biassing means, thereby to prevent pivoting of the first element in the reverse direction.

5. A lock according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein each element is flat and each recess is formed in an edge of the first element.

6. A lock according to claim 6, wherein the cavity is formed in an edge of the first element.

7. A lock according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the doormountable portion comprises a pair of plates attachable to the door and on which the first and second elements are pivotably mounted.

8. A lock according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pin is mushroom-shaped.

9. A lock according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein each recess is a U- or V-shaped notch.

10. A lock according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the biassing means comprises an elastic element.

11. A lock according to claim 10, wherein the elastic element is a spring which extends between the first and second pivotable elements.

12. A lock according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the arrangement is such that the mouth of the cavity is gradually closed by the second element as the first element pivots in the forward direction.

13. A lock for a camper, caravan or motor home door, substantially as herein described with reference to, or with reference to and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.