GB2298669A

GB2298669A - Child safety gate with rotary cam latch

Info

Publication number: GB2298669A
Application number: GB9605132A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barry James Watkins; Derek Barker
Original assignee: HAGO PROD Ltd
Current assignee: HAGO PROD Ltd
Priority date: 1995-03-10
Filing date: 1996-03-11
Publication date: 1996-09-11
Anticipated expiration: 2016-03-11
Also published as: GB9605132D0; GB2298669B

Description

"Gates" This invention relates to gates, and relates more particularly but not exclusively to child safety gates for selectively blocking the passage of infants and young children.

Child safety gates are known per se, for example from our previously published British Patents GB2197376-B and GB2227272-B. Child safety gates require to be safe, reliable, easy to install, easy for adults to operate but substantially impossible for young children to operate, and not excessively expensive. The width of a given gate should also be readily adjustable to enable the gate to be installed in locations having different widths.

It is an object of the invention to provide a gate capable of being used as a child safety gate, and which is capable of meeting at least some of the abovementioned desiderata.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a gate which is adapted for mounting in a gap to open and close the gap by substantially horizontal movement into and out of the gap, the gate having latching means associated with one side of the gate, the latching means serving in use of the gate to selectively latch the gate in a gap-closing position, the latching means comprising a manually operable cam means mounted on or adjacent said one side of the gate for selective camming reaction on the gate to cause engagement with the adjacent side of the gap when the gate is in the gap-closing position whereby to latch the gate in the gap-closing position.

The gate may be mounted by and hinged upon hinge means on or adjacent the side of the gate opposite said one side on or adjacent which said cam means is mounted, the hinge means serving for opening and closing of the gap by swinging movement of the gate in a substantially horizontal direction about a substantially vertical hinge axis. The hinge means may comprise or be associated with a static frame means mountable in the gap to support the gate for swinging movement into and out of the gap. The static frame means is preferably mounted in the gap so as to be demountable therefrom substantially without damage to or permanent alteration of the gate.

The cam means preferably comprises a rotary cam means which may be mounted upon and circumscribing a tubular component of the gate with at least part of the cam means being rotatable around the tubular component.

The gate may be formed of a plurality of vertical bars extending between top and bottom horizontal rails, the cam means preferably being mounted around the top rail at or adjacent one end thereof. The rotary cam means preferably comprises two concentrically mounted components which are relatively rotatable in use of the cam means, the inner one of these two components being substantially non-rotatably secured to the gate, the outer one of these two components being rotatably mounted upon the inner component, rotational wedging surfaces being formed on the two components for mutual interengagement upon rotation of the outer component around the inner component to cause axial movement of the outer component in one axial direction relative to the inner component in one rotational direction of relative rotational movement of the two components, and to cause or allow axial movement of the outer component in the opposite axial direction relative to the inner component in the opposite rotational direction of relative rotational movement of the two components.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a rotary cam means as aforesaid, the rotary cam means being available per se for retrofitting on a pre-existing gate to provide a latch means therefor.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: - Fig. 1 is an overall view of a child safety gate in accordance with the invention, the gate being installed in a doorway; Fig. 2 is a close-up view of a rotary latch forming part of the gate shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevation of a swingable closure forming part of the gate; Fig. 4 is an elevation of a static frame forming part of the gate; Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views respectively from above and below of the upper half of the outer component of the rotary latch shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the upper half; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the upper half; Fig. 9 is an longitudinal section of the upper half, taken on the line B-B in Fig. 7;; Fig. 10 is a transverse section of the upper half, taken on the line A-A in Fig. 5; Fig. 11 is a transverse section of the upper half, taken on the line D-D in Fig. 6; Fig. 12 is a fragmentary transverse section of the upper half, taken on the line C-C in Fig. 7; Figs. 13-20 are views of the lower half of the outer component of the rotary latch shown in Fig.

1, Figs 13-20 individually corresponding to Figs 5-12 respectively; Fig. 21 is a plan view, from above, of the inner component of the rotary latch shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 22 is a side elevation of the inner component; Fig. 23 is an end elevation of the inner component; Fig. 24 is a longitudinal vertical section of the inner component, taken on the line A-A in Fig. 23; Fig. 25 is a transverse section of the inner component, taken on the line B-B in Fig. 23; and Fig. 26 is a longitudinal horizontal section of the inner component, taken on the line C-C in Fig.

25.

Referring first to Fig. 1, this is an overall view of a child safety gate 100 mounted in a gap which, in the exemplary instance, is a doorway within a domestic dwelling. The gate 100 has a vertical hinge axis which is towards the left of Fig. 1, and the right side of the gate 100 is latched against the right side 104 of the door frame (as viewed in Fig. 1) by means of a rotary latch 102 shown in close-up in Fig. 2.

The gate 100 comprises a swingable barrier section 110 (Fig. 3) in the form of a plurality of vertical bars 112 secured between top and bottom tubular rails 114 and 116. The leftmost bar 118 serves as a hinge post.

The bars and rails 112-118 are formed of thinwall mild steel tubing, mutually secured by welds, and finished with a coating of suitable paint or enamel.

The gate 100 further comprises an L-shaped frame section 120 (Fig. 4) formed of a vertical member 122, a long lower horizontal member 124 at the bottom, and a short horizontal member 126 at the top. A hinge post 128 is secured to the bottom member 124 and a hinge bracket 130 is secured to the top member 126 for the subsequent hinge mounting of the barrier section 110.

The frame components 122-130 are of mild steel (thinwall tubing in the case of members 122-126), mutually secured by welding, and finished with a coating of a suitable paint or enamel.

The rotary latch 102 is formed principally of concentrically mounted inner and outer components. The outer component (visible in Fig. 2) is a generally cylindrical shell composed of a hemi-cylindrical upper half 200 (Figs. 5-12) and a hemi-cylindrical lower half 300 (Figs 13-20). The inner component 400 (Figs. 2126) is a unitary article which, in use, is fitted around the top right corner of the barrier section 110 (Fig. 3) with the longitudinal axis of the inner component 400 substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the top rail 114. (The components 200, 300 and 400 will subsequently be described in detail).

The latch components 200, 300 and 400 are each moulded in a suitable polymer, for example polypropylene or styrene with a nominal wall thickness of 2.5 millimetres.

To assemble the gate 100 for use, the frame section 120 (Fig. 4) is secured across the door frame 104 in a conventional manner by horizontal screw-jacks at either end of the lower rail 124, and a further horizontal screw-jack at the left end of the upper rail 126 (see Fig. 1). Next, the lower end of the leftmost bar 118 of the barrier section 120 (Fig. 3) is fitted over the hinge post 128 (Fig. 4), the upper end of the bar 118 is fitted under the hinge bracket 130, and a hinge pin (not shown) is passed through the bracket 130 to be secured in the bar 118. This procedure mounts the barrier section 110 on the frame section 120 in manner which allows the barrier section 110 to swing about its vertical hinge axis (coaxial with the bar 118) alternately out of and into the doorway (Fig. 1).

Next, the inner component 400 of the latch 102 is fitted over the top right corner of the barrier section 110 as previously detailed, and the outer components 200 and 300 are fitted around the inner component 400 to assemble the latch 102 (see Figs. 1 and 2). A cupshaped foot 500 is secured to the outer end of the mutually secured outer components 200 and 300 (the right end of the latch 102 as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2).

In a manner to be detailed below, operation of the latch 102 selectively extends the foot 500 horizontally outwards from the top right of the barrier section 110 of the gate 100, or allows the foot 500 to retract towards the rest of the gate 100. When extended (with the gate 100 in its closed position), the foot 500 lodges within a hollow anchorage 510 secured to the door frame 104 to latch the gate closed, thereby to bar the passage of infants and young children through the doorway (independently of whether the original door is open or shut). Retraction of the foot 500 by suitable operation of the latch 102 (as detailed below) withdraws the foot 500 from the anchorage 510 and thereby unlatches the gate 100 for it to be opened.

Details of the latch 102 will now be described.

The upper and lower halves 200 and 300 of the outer component of the latch 102 are both generally in the form of hemi-cylindrical shells, each having a full circular end face 202 and 302, respectively, at one end. The two halves 200 and 300 fit together to form a cylindrical shell (see Fig. 1) and are mutually secured by a pair of axially-directed self-tapping screws (not shown) passing through a pair of countersunk clearance holes 204 in the end face 202 (Figs. 7 and 12) and into a pair of pilot holes 304 in the end face 302 (Figs. 15 and 20). These screws may also serve for fastening of the foot 500 (which is, however, preferably secured by a coaxial screw-threaded adjustable mounting passing through central holes in the end faces 202 and 302).

The other ends of the components 200 and 300 are mutually secured by a further pair of self-tapping screws (not shown) passing through countersunk clearance holes 306 in the lower half 300 (Figs. 13 and 14) into a pair of pilot holes 206 in the upper half 200 (Figs. 6 and 10).

When the two halves 200 and 300 are mutually secured around the inner component 400 (itself pre-mounted around the rail 114), the so-formed cylindrical shell constituting the outer component of the latch 102 is freely rotatable around the inner component 400 within angular constraints detailed below.

The outer component 200 + 300 rotates in normal use through an angle of about 900, and Fig. 2 actually shows the outer component 200 + 300 rotated from its Fig. 1 position by 900 in a clockwise direction as viewed from the outer end of the latch 102 (ie looking on the end faces 202/302 on which the foot 500 is mounted) such that the bottom of the lower component 300 is fully visible in Fig. 2 whereas the upper component 200 is out of sight on the far side of the latch 102. A slot 308 in the lower half 300 (Figs. 13, 14, 16 and 17) fits around the rightmost bar 114 in the barrier section 110 (see Fig. 3) to allow the abovementioned rotational movement. The slot 308 is helical to accommodate axial movement of the outer component 200 + 300 concomitant with rotational movement and arising through an internal camming mechanism detailed below.A curved recess 208 in one edge of the upper half 200 (Figs. 5 and 6) coordinates with the slot 308 in the lower half 300 to complete the bar-accommodating slot in the assembled latch 102.

Within the upper half 200 a buttressed and otherwise reinforced abutment 210 is formed integrally with the remainder of the component 200 (Figs. 6, 9, 11 and 12).

A corresponding reinforced abutment 310 is formed inside the lower half 300, integrally with the remainder of the component 300 (Figs. 13, 17, 19 and 20). The abutments 210 and 310 together serve to react the outer component 200 + 300 against a wedge or cam formed on or constituted by the inner component 400, as detailed below.

Referring now to Figs. 21-26, the inner component 400 of the latch 102 is generally in the form of a hollow cylinder which is open at one end (the upper end as viewed in Figs. 21 and 26; the left end as viewed in Fig. 22; the right end as viewed in Fig. 24). A slot 402 (Figs. 24, 25 and 26) axially extends from the open end to allow the inner component 400 to be mounted on the barrier section 110 by being slid onto the top rail 114 (Fig. 3) to fit therearound, the slot 402 allowing the component 400 to slide past the rightmost vertical bar 112 and also serving (by reacting against this bar 112) to prevent rotation of the inner component 400 in use of the latch 102.

The closed end of the component 400 is formed with a symmetrically disposed and mutually identical pair of circumferentially developed wedge surfaces 404 (Figs.

21, 22, 23, 24 and 26). Each wedge surface 404 is the circumferential development of an axial ramp. Movement around either of the axial ramps or wedge surfaces 404 in an anti-clockwise direction about the longitudinal axis of the component 400 (as viewed from the non-open or wedge end of the component 400, ie as in Fig. 23) results in an increasing axial displacement away from the body of the component 400 (most easily seen in Fig.

21, but also to be seen in Figs. 22 and 24).

When the outer component 200 + 300 is assembled around the gate-mounted inner component 400 to produce the latch assembly 102, the internal abutments 210 and 310 inside the outer component 200 + 300 bear against the wedge surfaces 404 on the end of the inner component 400 such that the abutments 210 and 310 act as rotatable cam followers with respect to the nonrotatable cam constituted by the pair of wedge surfaces 404. Consequently, when the outer part 200 + 300 of the rotary latch 102 is rotated anti-clockwise as viewed from the end mounting the foot 500, the abutments 210 and 310 each ride "up" a respective one of the wedge surfaces 404 to force the outer component 200 and 300 to move outwards of the gate 100, ie to the right as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2.In turn (and assuming the barrier section 110 to have been swung shut), the cam-induced displacement of the outer component 200 + 300 carries the foot 500 into firm engagement with the anchorage 510 and thereby latches the gate 100 shut. In so moving, the outer part of the latch 102 rotates (and simultaneously moves axially) from the non-latching position shown in Fig. 2 to the latching position shown in Fig. 1. Unlatching movement is the reverse of latching movement.

In order to secure the outer component 200 + 300 in its gate-latching rotational position, the inner component is provided with a detent 406 (Figs. 21-25) which is mounted on the free end of a cantilever 408 whose root is integral with the body of the inner component 400 (see especially Figs. 21 and 24). The detent 406 normally projects radially outwards of the periphery of the body of the inner component 400 as shown in Figs.

22-25, but may be manually depressed radially inwards against the inherent resilience of the cantilever 408.

When radially projecting, the detent 406 lodges in a radial through hole in the outer component 200 + 300, the hole being formed by two semi-circular recesses 212 and 312, each located in a respective edge of the outer components 200 and 300 so as to form a circular hole when the outer components 200 and 300 are mutually assembled (Figs. 5, 6, 8 and 9 and Figs. 13, 14, 16 and 17). In order to rotate the outer component 200 + 300 of the latch 102 away from its gate-latching position, the detent 406 must be pressed manually inwards to clear the inner end of the hole formed by the aligned recesses 212 and 312, with the outer component 200 + 300 simultaneously being rotated. Such manual dexterity is available to the average adult but may be considered to be beyond the competence of a young child, thus making the latch 102 "child-proof".

To assist in dislodging the foot 500 from the anchorage 510 during delatching, the inner component 400 is formed with an axial counter-wedge 410 at its open (non-cam) end (Figs. 21, 22 and 24). When the outer component 200 + 300 is being rotated clockwise as viewed from the foot end in order to delatch the gate 100, the counter-wedge 410 engages material 216 surrounding one of the pilot holes 206 in the upper half 200 of the outer component (Figs. 6 and 9). Such engagement gives the outer component 200 + 300 a "kickback" so as positively to "break" the foot 500 out of its preceding close engagement within the anchorage 510.

Modifications and variations of the above-described embodiment can be adopted without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims

1A gate which is adapted for mounting in a gap to open and close the gap by substantially horizontal movement into and out of the gap, the gate having latching means associated with one side of the gate, the latching means serving in the use of the gate to selectively latch the gate in a gap closing position, the latching means comprising a manually operable cam means mounted on or adjacent said one side of the gate for selective camming reaction on the gate to cause engagement with the adjacent side of the gap when the gate is in the gap-closing position whereby to latch the gate in the gap-closing position.
2. A gate as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the gate is mounted by and hinged upon hinge means on or adjacent the side of the gate opposite said one side on or adjacent which said cam means is mounted.
3. A gate as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the hinge means comprises or is associated with a static frame means mountable in the gap to support the gate for swinging movement into and out of the gap.
4. A gate as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the static frame means is mountable in the gap so as to be demountable therefrom substantially without damage to or permanent alteration of the gate.
5. A gate as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the cam means comprises a rotary cam means mountable upon and circumscribing a tubular component of the gate with at least part of the cam means being rotatable around the tubular component.
6. A gate as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the gate comprises a plurality of vertical bars extending between top and bottom rails, wherein the cam means is mountable around the top rail at or adjacent one end thereof.
7. A rotary cam means comprising two concentrically mounted components which are rotatable in use of the cam means, the inner of the two components being substantially non-rotatably securable to a gate, the outer of the two components being rotatably mounted upon the inner component, rotational wedging surfaces being formed on the two components for mutual interengagement upon rotation of the outer component around the inner component to cause axial movement of the outer component in one axial direction relative to the inner component in one rotational direction of relative rotational movement of the two components, and to cause or allow axial movement of the outer component in the opposite axial direction relative to the inner component in the opposite rotational direction of relative rotational movement of the two components.
8. A rotary cam means as described in Claim 7 for retro-fitting on a pre-existing gate to provide a latch means therefor.
9. A gate as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 comprising a rotary cam means as claimed in claim 7.
10. A rotary cam means substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
11. A gate substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.