GB2423115A

GB2423115A - Retractable locking device impeding opening of door in one direction

Info

Publication number: GB2423115A
Application number: GB0501715A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian John Watson; Tony Wills
Original assignee: GRANFIT HOLDINGS Ltd
Current assignee: GRANFIT HOLDINGS Ltd
Priority date: 2005-01-27
Filing date: 2005-01-27
Publication date: 2006-08-16
Anticipated expiration: 2025-01-27
Also published as: GB0501715D0; GB2423115B

Abstract

A locking device 10 comprising a base section 12 and a retractable section 16, wherein the locking device can be mounted on a first side of one of a door frame sw or door with the retractable section in a first position extending toward the corresponding door or door frame. The retractable section is of a length to obscure a direct sight line from one side of the door to the other when in the first position and preventing the opening of the door towards the first side. The retractable section can be selectively retracted to a second position where opening of the door towards the first side is not impeded. The retractable section may be sprung-biased towards its first position. A locking device may be located on either side of a toilet door; with one device recieving a catch L and one mounting a hinge H. The locking devices may then be retracted to allow opening of the door in an emergency.

Description

1 "Locking Device" 3 The present invention is concerned with locking 4

devices for doors and the like, especially doors used in cubicles of the type commonly employed in 6 public toilets and changing rooms.

8 Toilet cubicles and changing room facilities are 9 found in numerous locations. To take one common example, a row of toilet bowls will be provided in a 11 public toilet with a solid wall to their rear. The 12 toilets are sectioned off from one another by the 13 provision of side walls and a door. The side walls 14 and doors can be of any suitable material, for example, Medium Density Fibre board, frosted glass 16 or plastic. This arrangement provides the user with 17 a comfortable degree of privacy whilst using the 18 toilet.

In this typical arrangement, the side walls are 21 provided at their ends opposite to the solid wall 22 with short boards arranged perpendicularly, much 1 like a flange extending from the side wall. This is 2 known as a "pilaster". The door of the cubicle is 3 attached onto the pilaster of one side wall by 4 hinges and, when the door is closed, abuts the pilaster of the other side wall. There is slight 6 overlapping of the door and pilasters such that 7 there is no sight line from the exterior into the 8 interior of the cubicle. The door in this 9 arrangement can only open inwardly into the cubicle, since the pilaster abutting the door prevents the 11 door from opening outwardly.

13 Whilst this arrangement provides the user with 14 adequate privacy, problems can arise if emergency access is required to the cubicle, for example if 16 the user was to fall ill or have an accident. The 17 user may fall on the floor and impede emergency 18 personnel's access to the cubicle and the user.

One solution is to remove the overlap between the 21 door and pilaster, but this produces a gap and 22 therefore a sight line into the cubicle. This is 23 obviously undesirable. Alternatively, the door can 24 be removed from its hinges in an emergency situation, but this can be time-consuming and 26 inconvenient if the emergency personnel have to deal 27 with an unhinged door in a potentially restrictive 28 space as well as an injured user.

The Secretary of State for the United Kingdom has 31 issued Approved Document M which provides guidance 32 concerning the Building Regulations 2000 for England 1 & Wales. Document M recommends that WC compartments 2 be provided with doors that can open outwardly in 3 emergency situations.

According to a first aspect of the present invention 6 there is provided a locking device suitable for use 7 on a door frame or door comprising a base section 8 and a retractable section, wherein in use the 9 locking device can be mounted on a first side of one of the door frame or door with the retractable 11 section in a first position extending toward the 12 corresponding door or door frame and between the 13 door and door frame, the retractable section being 14 of a length to obscure a direct sight line from one side of the door to the other when in the first 16 position and preventing the opening of the door 17 towards the first side, and wherein the retractable 18 section can be selectively retracted to a second 19 position where opening of the door towards the first side is not impeded.

22 Preferably the retractable section is biased toward 23 the first position, more preferably through the use 24 of a spring between the base section and the

retractable section.

27 Preferably the retractable section is connected by a 28 hinge to the base section.

Preferably the retractable section is retractable to 31 a position substantially inside the base section.

32 However, any other suitable retracting arrangement 1 may be used, including overlapping of the base 2 section and retractable section and retraction of 3 the retractable section around the base section.

Preferably the locking device includes a catch to 6 receive a sliding door lock.

8 Preferably the locking device includes mounting 9 means for the mounting of one or more door hinges.

11 In a preferred embodiment, the locking device 12 includes one or more lever arms hingedly mounted to 13 the base section, the retractable section being 14 fixed to the lever arms such that the retractable section is pivotally mounted to the base section.

17 According to a second aspect of the present 18 invention there is provided a cubicle wall for a 19 cubicle including a locking device according to the first aspect of the present invention.

22 An embodiment of the present invention will now be 23 described, by way of example only with reference to 24 the following drawings in which: - 26 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a standard

27 prior art toilet cubicle;

29 Fig. 2 is a plan view in section of two locking devices according to the present invention; 1 Fig. 3 is a further plan view in section of the 2 locking devices of Fig. 2; 4 Fig. 4 is a further plan view in section of the locking devices of Fig. 2; and 7 Fig. 5 is a still further plan view in section 8 of the locking devices of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Fig. 1 11 there is shown a standard prior art toilet cubicle.

12 Two side walls S are provided, each with pilasters 13 P1 and P2 extending perpendicularly from each side 14 wall's end. A door D is suspended on hinges (not shown) between the two pilasters P1,P2. The door D 16 is slightly wider than the gap PGAP between the inner 17 edges of the two pilasters P1,P2.

19 The hinges are attached to pilaster P1 and allow the door to open inwardly into the cubicle. Pilaster P2 21 prevents the door D from being opened outwardly from 22 the cubicle. Due to the overlap of the door D and 23 the pilasters P1,P2 there is no sight line into the 24 cubicle, and the user can enjoy a reasonable level of privacy.

27 Turning now to Fig. 2, there is shown a plan view of 28 two locking devices according to the present 29 invention, generally referred to as 10. Each are virtually identical in configuration to one another, 31 save for each being a mirror image of the other.

1 The two locking devices 10 each comprise a base 2 section 12, a retractable section 14 and a spring 3 16.

The locking devices 10 are shown in Fig. 2 mounted 6 on a side wall SW of a toilet cubicle. The locking 7 device 10 on the right hand side is attached to the 8 side of the side wall SW on which a door D2 is hung 9 via a door hinge H. The locking device 10 on the left hand side is not attached to the corresponding 11 door D1, but rather receives that door when it is 12 closed (see Fig. 3). On the door D1, there is 13 provided a standard slide lock L with a 14 corresponding catch C mounted on the locking device 10.

17 In effect, the two locking devices 10 depicted in 18 Figs. 2 to 5 show the attachment of the locking 19 devices 10 to the left and right hand edges of a single door. Each provides an identical function on 21 either side of the door in normal operating 22 conditions of impeding a sight line into the 23 interior of a toilet cubicle.

The base section 12 and retractable section 14 are 26 both elongate extruded sections and each extend in 27 this embodiment for substantially the same length as 28 the height of the doors D11D2. The retractable 29 section 14 is slightly curved and is placed within a central channel 20 of the base section 12 and is 31 urged into its first extended position (as seen in 32 Fig. 1) by a spring 16. A lip 22 prevents the 1 retractable section 14 from fully disengaging the 2 base section 12.

4 The spring 16 is a W-spring, a section of spring steel wire curved into a W shape. The spring 16 6 mounts within a spring slot 24 on the retractable 7 section 14.

9 An L-shaped plate 26 is provided at the top and bottom of the locking device 10 and is welded to the 11 retractable section 14. The L-shaped plate 26 is 12 also attached to the base section 12 by a locking 13 device hinge 28.

In normal operating conditions as depicted in Figs. 16 2 and 3, the spring 16 urges the retractable section 17 16 across the gap formed between the doors D11D2 and 18 the side wall SW, impeding a sight line forming into 19 the interior of the cubicle. A rubber seal 30 is provided along the edge of the retractable section 21 14 nearest the door D1,D2. The rubber seal 30 22 primarily ensures that the edge of the retractable 23 section 14 does not damage the face of the door.

The locking device 10 in this position does not 26 impede the door from opening inwardly into the 27 cubicle, but does prevent the door opening 28 outwardly.

Turning now to Figs. 4 and 5, the locking devices 10 31 are shown in emergency operating conditions.

1 To be able to open the doors D11D2 outwardly, the 2 user can manually force the retractable section 14 3 further into the base section 12, against the force 4 of the spring 16. This removes the impedance to the door D1 opening outwardly. As can be seen, this 6 action also overrides the locking action of the 7 standard slide lock L and catch C. 9 As the door begins to open, the force imparted on the retractable section 14 of the locking device 10 11 deployed on the side of the door that is hinged, 12 acts against the force of the spring 16 and forces 13 the retractable section 14 into the base section 12 14 (see Fig. 5). This allows the door to be opened outwardly in an emergency situation.

17 The invention is not limited the embodiment herein 18 described but may be varied in both construction and 19 detail.

Claims

1 CLAIMS 3 1. A locking device suitable for use on a door 4 frame or door

comprising a base section and a retractable section, wherein in use the locking 6 device can be mounted on a first side of one of the 7 door frame or door with the retractable section in a 8 first position extending toward the corresponding 9 door or door frame and between the door and door frame, the retractable section being of a length to 11 obscure a direct sight line from one side of the 12 door to the other when in the first position and 13 preventing the opening of the door towards the first 14 side, and wherein the retractable section can be selectively retracted to a second position where 16 opening of the door towards the first side is not 17 impeded.

19 2. A locking device according to Claim 1 wherein the retractable section is biased toward the first 21 position.

23 3. A locking device according to Claims 1 or 2 24 wherein the retractable section is biased through the use of a spring between the base section and the 26 retractable section.

28 4. A locking device according to any preceding 29 claim wherein the retractable section is connected by a hinge to the base section.

1 5. A locking device according to any preceding 2 claim within the retractable section is retractable 3 to a position substantially inside the base section.

6. A locking device according to any preceding 6 claim wherein the locking device includes a catch to 7 receive a sliding door lock.

9 7. A locking device according to any preceding claim wherein the locking device includes mounting 11 means for the mounting of one or more door hinges.

13 8. A locking device according to any preceding 14 claim wherein the locking device includes one or more lever arms hingedly mounted to the base 16 section, the retractable section being fixed to the 17 lever arms such that the retractable section is 18 pivotally mounted to the base section.

9. A cubical wall for a cubical including a 21 locking device according to any preceding claim.

23 10. A locking device substantially as hereinbefore 24 described with reference to the accompanying drawing.