GB2394508A - Door security systems and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A control system for a door includes means for controlling displacement of the door between its open and closed positions (1) incorporating at least one lock unit (6) resiliently loaded towards its locking setting, means (14) for ensuring that each such lock unit is fully opened before the door can be displaced from its closed position and preventing movement of the door until the lock is fully opened. The control means is for use with an up-and-over type garage door.

Description

-1 DOOR SECURITY SYSTEMS AND APPARATUS

This invention relates to systems for and apparatus for enhancing the security of closure members such as those provided in connection with storage facilities, commercial and residential premises, doors, as may be provided in relation to 5 motor vehicle garages, doors associated with socalled external building such as sheds, lockups and the like.

Frequently, the doors of buildings particularly those for garages have been hung for opening and closing rotation about a horizontal axis in the vicinity of the upper horizontal edge of the door, the pivoting being such that the pivots for the door are 10 engaged in rearwardly directed guide tracks.

It is also known to provide a door with two or more locking arrangements which serve individually to lock various regions of the door to a door surround and/or predetermined locations on the floor adjacent to the bottom of the door.

In practice arrangements are provided for operating all of the locking 15 arrangements from a central locking position.

In addition arrangements are provided for opening or closing the door whilst the locking arrangements are in their non-locking settings.

It is known to provide electrically controlled remotely operable arrangements for controlling the opening and closing of doors and the operation of door locking 2n arrangements by operation of an appropriate switch or switches, from a remote position as an alternative to key controlled manual operation or as a combination of both enabling both selective manual or remote control.

-2- Conveniently, the locking members are operationally coupled by way of oppositely directed bars, rods, cables or the like, to a central operating element pivotally mounted to the door at a central location thereof. If desired the central operating element can incorporate a key actuated lock mechanism, the 5 arrangement being such that in order to unlock the door following release of the locking mechanism the element is turned in the appropriate sense to cause the rods, bars, cables or the like to withdraw the locking members from their locking engagement with the door surround and/or floor thereby to free the door for opening. 10 In practice, the opening and closing of the door is interrelated with the operation of the central locking arrangements provided.

I-lowever, it has been found that in practice that it is possible through usage for lack of synchronization between the operation of the locking units and the door lifting mechanism to develop. It is believed that this undesirable situation arises 15 from the use of cables, or the like conventionally associated with central locking systems which can wear and/or stretch during use and that under some conditions such wear or stretch can become permanent without providing visual signs of stretch levels which may well be sufficient to result in the locking unit associated therewith not being fully withdrawn before the opening movements of the door 20 are initiated.

A direct consequence of this operational condition is that the locking unit or units involved can be damaged or weakened to such extent that on during the opening of the door the door opening mechanism starts to try to displace the door before the locking system has ensured release of all locking units involved in the system 25 and alternatively/additionally on closure of the door and the required return of the locking units to their door locking settings one or more of the locking units may well fail firmly to lock thereby rendering the door readily operable by a possible

-3- intruder and/or so damaged that they fail to release and this result in further damage to the overall door locking arrangements It is an object of the present invention to provide arrangements for protecting door handling arrangements from lack of synchronization between a door locking 5 arrangement and a door opening and closing arrangement associated therewith.

Broadly according to a first aspect of the invention there is provided in or for use with means for controlling displacement between its open and closed positions of a door incorporating at least one lock unit resiliently loaded towards its locking setting, means for ensuring that each such lock unit is fully opened before the 10 door can be displaced from its closed position.

Preferably the means for ensuring that each lock unit is fully open includes a first part secured to the door to provide first and second stop positions respectively characteristic of each lock unit being in its locked position and its fully open position and a second part pivotally mounted to the first part and operationally t 5 connected to each said lock unit and arranged to be pivotable between said stop positions by the action of the door displacement means, the arrangement being such that the door is displacable whenever the second part is at a stop position..

In a preferred arrangement the means for ensuring is arranged resiliently to load each lock unit towards the associated lock open setting during the pivotal 20 movement of the second part from the first stop position to the second stop . position. Preferably said resilient loading of the second part towards the second position is effected by a tension spring that is arranged to be tensioned during movement of the second part from its second to its first stop position.

-4- Broadly, according to a further aspect of the invention a door or the like handling apparatus includes means for moving a door between its closed and open positions, at least one lock unit for locking the door when in its closed position, means for actuating each such lock unit between its open and closed 5 settings/positions, and means for ensuring that each locking unit is fully released from door locking setting before the means for moving the door is enabled to displace the door from a closed position.

In a preferred construction the lost motion arrangement includes a resiliently loaded pivoted element having first and second stop positions, a first such stop n position being related to each lock unit being in its fully locked position and the second such stop position being related to each lock wit being in its fully open position. For a better understanding of the invention and to show how to carry the same into effect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which; 15 Figure 1 very schematically illustrates a horizontally hung door and an embodiment of a door handling and locking system associated with the door.

together with a part of an embodiment of a door locking and handling apparatus; Figure 2 schematically illustrates a first main part of an unit for use with the door handling apparatus of leisure 1; 20 Figure 3 schematically illustrates a second main part of the unit for use with the door handling apparatus of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a part sectional view schematically illustrates the parts of Figures 2 and 3 in their operative positions.

-5- Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figure 1 which schematically illustrates a a door I and its associated door frame/surround 2. The door is hung for opening and closing movements from the upper end thereof. In the embodiment shown each end of the top of the door is provided with pivot 5 arrangements 3 which engage in guide tracks 4. These guide tracks extend perpendicularly to the plane of the door when closed and to the frame 2 and are generally horizontal. If considered convenient for the purposes of assisting door opening movement these guide tracks can be inclined slightly downwards so that the door during can have a slight rearwards downward lean at the latter stages of 1 0 opening.

Electrically operable door handling ( i.e., opening and closing) arrangements 5 to be discussed hereinafter are provided for causing the pivots 3 to displace lengthways of the tracks 4 for the purposes of opening and closing the door 1.

During these opening movements the upper region 8 of the door is moved away 15 from the door frame/surround 2 and in so doing lifts and tilts rearwards as the upper part of the door is moved away from the frame/surround in the direction of the tracks 4.

In practice, the door would be provided with at least one locking arrangement/unit 6 whereby when the door is set to its closed vertical position the door is lockable 2n in the closed position. In the Figure I three such locking arrangements/unit 6 are indicated one to the centre 7 of the bottom of the door and one to each side 9 of the door 1 midway of the length thereof.

Each locking unit 6, as is conventional, incorporates a latching or catch portion (not shown) adapted to engage in a complementary part that is secured to the floor 25 in the case of the bottom unit and to the door frame in the case of the other two units 6. The lock unit latch or catch means are resiliently loaded towards their locking positions with suff cient power to ensure that as soon as the door moves to the position in which the lock latch or catches can engage with their associated

- 6 parts on the floor or door frame they are immediately firmly displaced by their resilient loading into their locking settings.

The arrangements 5 provided for displacing the door I are located adjacent to the top 8 of the door I and vertically above the single locking unit/arrangement 6.

5 In more complex systems of locking arrangements/units, additional units (not shown) would be provided at the bottom confers of the door in addition to those located midway along the height of the door. Alternatively a system could include lock units solely at the corners of the door This particular positioning of additional lock units affords practical advantage in that the distortion for entry 10 purposes of the lower corners of the door is resisted when the thus positioned locking arrangements are locked.

In the Figure I the various locking arrangements/units 6 are interconnected by way of appropriate sleeved cables or the like 10 by way of a centrally positioned rotatable guide 12 13 mounted to the door vertically above the lowermost lock 15 unit 6 to an interlock unit 14 that is mounted to the door 1 vertically above the central the plate/guide 12 and serves operationally to connect the lock units to the electrically operable means 5 for opening and closing the door. This interlock arrangement will be discussed herein after.

With this positioning rotation of the guide 12 in a first direction moves the cables 20 connecting with the lock units in a direction that unlocks the locking arrangements/units 6 whilst rotation in the reverse direction enables the locking arrangements/units to return to their locking positions (it being presumed that the door is in its closed position) under the action of the resilient loading of the lock unit latches.

25 In one embodiment as is schematically shown the cables from the three lock units 6 actually connect with the guide 12. In this case the guide can comprise a plate

rotatably mounted to the door 1. With this arrangement a single interconnection cable 10 connects the plate/guide 12 to the interlock unit 14, the arrangement being such the a pull exerted upon the interconnection cable 10 rotates the plate/guide 12 and thus acts upon the other cables 10 connecting the late/ guide 5 12 to the lock units. In a further embodiment (not shown) all of the various cables 10 associated with the various lock units 6 are brought into line with each other by way of the central guide 12 the latter being arranged to accommodate in drum fashion the various cables. After the egagement with the guide the cables 10 are then directed vertically upwards to be individually connected with the interlock 1 0 arrangement 14.

In practice the rotatable guide 12 can be arranged for enabling opening of the door in the event that the electrically operable system fails.

With this positioning rotation of the guide 12 in a first direction moves the cables in a direction that unlocks the locking arrangements/units 6 whilst rotation in the 15 reverse direction enables the locking arrangements/units to return to their locking positions (it being presumed that the door is in its closed position) under the action of the resilient loading thereof..

The achieve the above mentioned operation of the door locking arrangements the inter-relationship between the guide 12, the cables 10, and the 2 locking units 6 are such that when the door I is fully closed the resiliently loaded latch/catch parts of the locking arrangements/units 6 are so resiliently loaded towards and into their door locking positions/settings that when the cable guide 12 is caused to rotate in the direction which is such as to exert pull on the cables 10 against the resilient loading of the locking units 6 the latter are set to their door 25 unlocked settings, and such that when the guide is caused to rotate in the opposite sense to return the guide 12 to its initial position the locking units are enabled to

- - move under the resilient loading thereof to their door locking positions/settings as soon as soon as the door returns to its fully closed position.

this can be readily achieved by suitable levels of the resilient loading of the latch/catch members of the locking units 6 into their fixed portions mounted to the 5 door frame uprights or the the ground immediately adjacent the bottom 7 of the closed door, and the appropriate shaping of the lock unit catch member such that whenever the catch member contacts the fixed portion of the associated lock unit 6 the catch member is readily able to move into engagement with the fixed member and to enter by the resilient action into its locking position relative to the 10 fixed member.

The door handling arrangement 5 includes a suitably motor driven chain/cable/pulley drive means schematically indicated at 13 tor moving the upper part 8 of the door rearward away to and from trom its closed position by displacing the pivots 3 thereof along the associated tracks 4 in the appropriate 15 direction. This drive means is operationally coupled to control the operation of the lock units by the interlock/door release arrangement 14 mounted onto the door The drive 13 is electrically driven and controlled from a control unit 13A in such manner that displacement of the drive 13 in one direction actuates the door release arrangement and then pulls the door reanvards and open, whilst 20 upon displacement the drive 13 in the opposite direction moves the upper part 8 ot the door I back towards its closed position with the release arrangement ultimately returning to its initial position/setting.

The operation of above mentioned door opening system is utilised to control the operation of the locking aarangement/units 6. In other words the opening of the 25 locking arrangements/units 6 is initiated by operation of the arrangement 5 for displacing the door 1.

The essential purpose of the interlock unit 14 is to ensure that the locking units 6 are fully opened before the door can be set into motion. To achieve this the unit 14 is effectively operationally interposed between the cables and the door drive system 13 5 Referring now to Figure 2 this schematically illustrates a first main part of an embodiment of the unit 14 that is, as previously mentioned, mounted to the door 1. The part of the unit 14 shown in Figure 2 basically includes a generally U formation element 15 having a rectangular back plate 16 and two side plates 17 extending perpendicular to the back plate 16. It will he noted that the side plates n 17 extend downwards below the level of the bottom edge 18 of the hack plate 16 For reasons to be discussed the back plate 16 includes a downwards extending stop member 19 which extends sufficiently downwards to terminate at the level of the lower edges 2() of the side plates 17. For reasons to be discussed the back plate 16 is provided with a relatively short bracket member 21 at a position above 1 5 the- upper end of the stop member 19 the bracket member extending perpendicularly to both the back plate 16 and the associated side plates 17. This bracket member 21 is symmetrically positioned with respect to the side plates] 7.

In use the back plate 16 is mounted to the door 1 adjacent to the upper edge region 8 thereof and in practice immediately vertically above the central guide 12 20 associated with the locking units 6 and is also symmetrically located relative to the vertical through the rotational axis of the guide 12.

As shown in Figure 3 the interlock 14 incorporates a second main part 22 comprising a generally U formation element including a back plate 23 and two side plates 24 extending perpendicularly to the back plate 23. As shown in the 25 Figure 3 each side plate 24 terminates in an inwardly directed stub arm 25 that is provided with side by side apertures 26. These apertures 26 provide the attachment points for the various cables 10 after the latter have engaged with the plate/guide 12.

- 1 O The side plates 24 are suitably apertured at 27 to mount a locating pin 28 (not shown in Figure 3) engageable in appropriate apertures 29 provided in the lower corners 30 of the first main part 15 by means of which the first and second parts 15 and 22 are pivotally mountable one to the other in such manner that the second 5 part 22 is able to pivot relative to the first part 15 with the associated back plates 16 and 23 facing away t'rom each other. A generally l.,-shaped plate like operating lever 31 is secured to the back plate 23 of the second part 22 in a central position thereof in such manner that the operating lever 31 extends between the two side plates 24 and perpendicular to the base plate 23. One end 32 of'the l,-shaped lever 0 31 is such that it is able to abut against the bottom of the stop member 19 of the first pert 15.

With this arrangement it will be noted that there is a continuous direct cable 10 connection from the pivoted second main part 22 by way of the guide 12 to the associated lock unit 6. In other words any pull exerted on a cable 10 at its 15 attachment with the part 22 is operationally transmitted to the associated lock unit. The other end 33 of the other leg/part of the lever 31 is apertured as at 34 so as to enable the lever 31 to be operationally connected to the drive 13 of the door operating arrangement 5 0 Referring now to Figure 4 this is a part sectional view illustrating the parts of Figures 2 and 3 when coupled together by the pin 35. The relative positions illustrated have been chosen purely for the purposes of illustration and represent a position intermediate of the rest position for the arrangement 5 when the arrangements are in their locked positions and the relative positions of the parts 25 whilst the door is actually being opened and held open.

- 1 1 _

A tension spring 36 acts between the two parts by being connected between the bracket member 21 of the part 15 and the end 32 of the plate 31 connected to the second part 22.

In the ligure 4 it will be noted that in the position shown in the Figure the spring 5 36 is under tension.

The arrangement of the interlock 14 and its connection with the drive 13 is such that when the door is fully closed and the locking units 6 are in their door locking positions the spring 36 is under its maximum tension level since the end 33 of the lever 31 is abutting the plate 16. The interconnection between the unit 14 and 1 0 the the drive 13 has at the closed position of the door moved the lever end 33 into contact with the plate 16. When in this position the various cables 10 connecting the lock units 6 to the connections 25 and 26 of the part 22 will be able to allow the resilient loading of the latches ol the lock units 6 to move the locks 6 to their locking positions.

1 5 As the door is moved to its fully closed position by the operational movement of the drive 13, the latter being operationally coupled to the lever end 33 by means of attachment of the drive 13 using the bore 34, the second part is rotated anticlockwise thereby to move the end 33 of the associated plate 31 of the second part 22 towards engagement with the back plate 16 of the first part 15. Thus the 20 plate 16 effectively acts as defining a door closed and locked stop position for the plate 31.

At the same time the lever end 32 will be at its maximum distance from the bottom of the member 19 whereby the spring 36 will be under its maximum tension.

_ 1 ? Thus during this motion of the plate 31 the spring 36 is progressively increased in tension. At the same time the cables 10 are so displaced by way of the guide 12 to enable the resilient loading of the lock units 6 to allow movement of the associated latches to their locking positions.

5 In other words by the time the door has moved to its fully closed position the locking elements of the arrangements/units 6 are enabled automatically to engage with their associated fixed parts and the spring 36 is fully tensioned.

During the initial stages of the door opening operation, the drive 13 exerts a clockwise pull upon the plate 31 and thus the second part 22 thereby rotating the 10 latter in a clockwise direction relative to the first part. This relative clockwise rotation continues until the lever end 32 strikes the plate 19. From this point further displacement of the drive 13 will now be transmitted through the lever 31 to the plate 19 and thus to the door itself which is now constrained to displace in its opening direction by the continuing movement of the drive 13.

15 Throughout this part of the movement the tension in the spring 36 ensures that the cables 10 are maintained taut by reason of the pull being exerted thereupon by the spring 36 this pull being continuously transmitted by way of the guide plate/12 to the latches of the lock units. The setting-up of the cable lengths and the angular extent of rotation ensure that by the time the drive 13 commences to apply ?O opening pull on the door itself the lock units have been fully opened. The stored tension in the spring 36 ensures that any slackness that may arise in the system is taken into account.

In other words the relative dimensioning of the components of the interlock 14 and its coupling to the drive 13 and the lock unit cables 10 are such that by the 25 time the end part 32 of the blade 31 contacts the bottom of the stop member 19 the locking arrangements 6 are fully open.

- 1 3 As a safety feature at the time the interlock 14 is being mounted to the door 1, the two main parts 1 S and 22 thereof are locked against movement one relative to the other by a retaining screw (not shown) that is engaged in a threaded bore 37 provided in the one of the side plates 17 at such position that when the screw is 5 threaded into the bore 37 the screw co-operates with the upper surface of the adjacent side plate 24 close to the position where the stub-arm 25 joins with the side plate 24. When the screw is fitted the spring 35 will be under tension with the end 32 of the plate 31 out of contact with the back plate 16.

Claims (11)

- 1 4 CLAIMS

1. In or for use with means for controlling displacement between its open and closed positions of a door incorporating at least one lock unit resiliently loaded towards its locking setting, means for ensuring that each such lock unit is fully 5 opened before the door can be displaced from its closed position.

2. In or for use with a door displacement means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for ensuring that each lock unit is fully open includes a first part secured to the door to provide first and second stop positions respectively characteristic of each lock unit being in its locked position and its hilly open 10 position and a second part pivotally mounted to the first part and operationally connected to each said lock unit and arranged to be pivotable between said stop positions by the action of the door displacement means the arrangement being such that the door is displacable whenever the second part is at a stop position..

3. In or for use with a door displacement means as claimed in claim 2, wherein 15 the means for ensuring is arranged resiliently to load each lock unit towards the associated lock open setting during the pivotal movement of the second part from the first stop position to the second stop position.

4. In or for use with a door displacement means as claimed in claim 3, wherein said said resilient loading of the second part towards the second position is 20 effected by a tension spring that is arranged to be tensioned during movement of the second part from its second to its first stop position.

5. In or for use with a door displacement means as claimed in claim 4, and wherein the second part incorporates a lever element pivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof to the first part..

t - s -

6. In or for use with a door displacement means as claimed in claim 4, and wherein a support bracket is connected to the lever for pivotal movement therewith, said support bracket being adapted to provide anchorage for cables or the like coupled to the locking members of the lock units whereby pivoting 5 movement of the lever is accompanied by displacement of the locking members.

7. In or for use with a door displacement means as claimed in claim 5, and wherein the ends of the lever are adapted to co-operate with the first part first and second stop positions.

8. In or for use with a door displacement means as claimed in claim 4, 5, 6 or 7, n and wherein one end of the lever is adapted for operational coupling; with the means for displacing the door and wherein the other end of the lever is adapted for connection to resilient means for resiliently loading this other end towards the second stop position.

9. A door handling apparatus including door displacement means for controlling 15 displacement of the door between its closed and open positions, at least one locking unit for locking the door when in its closed position, means responsive to initiation of operation of the door displacement means to open the door for actuating each such lock unit, and means for ensuring that each lock unit is fully unlocked before the door displacement means is enabled to displace the door from ?D a closed position.

10. A door handling apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the means responsive to the initiation of door movement from its locked position includes a member responsive to the action of the means for moving the door between a first stop position characteristic the door locked setting of each lock unit and a second 25 stop position characteristic of the fully unlocked setting of each lock unit, and means for resiliently loading the responsive member when in said first stop position towards said second stop position, the arrangement being such that the

d _ 1 6 resilient loading of the member ensures that each lock unit is fully opened on completion of responsive member displacement from its first stop position to the second stop position.

11.- A door handling apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the responsive 5 member is pivotally mounted to a first bracket member fixedly mounted to the door, said bracket member defining said first and second stop positions.

12 A door handling apparatus including at least one door locking arrangements/unit each include a first portion adapted for mounting to fixed location relative to movement of the door, a second portion adapted for locking 1 n engagement with the first portion and arranged to be mountable to the door in such position as to be able operationally to be engageable with the first portion, and wherein the door locking arrangements/units are arranged for operation by way of a common operating arrangement adapted for operational coupling with all said locking arrangements/units and also to means for handling movement of 15 the door. the arrangement being such that the interaction between the locking arrangements/units and the operating arrangement is such that on actuating the operating arrangement for the purposes of opening the door all of the associated locking arrangements/ units are moved to their unlocked positions prior to the means for handling movement of the door is able to commence door movement.

20 13. Tn or for use with means for controlling displacement between its open and closed positions of a door incorporating at least one lock unit resiliently loaded towards its locking setting, means for ensuring that each such lock unit is folly opened before the door can be displaced from its closed position constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein before described with reference to the 25 accompanying drawings.