GB2548170A

GB2548170A - Lock actuator assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2548170A
Application number: GB1610637.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Patrick Mccarthy Bruce
Original assignee: Assa Abloy Ltd
Current assignee: Assa Abloy Ltd
Priority date: 2016-06-17
Filing date: 2016-06-17
Publication date: 2017-09-13
Anticipated expiration: 2036-06-17
Also published as: GB2548170B; GB201610637D0

Abstract

A lock actuator assembly 1 for mounting within a door 11 and comprising an actuator body 2, a cam 9 rotatably mounted in the actuator body and an elongate member 17 rotatably coupled to the cam 9 and comprising a received end 25 being received within the actuator body and a projecting end 27 projecting out of the actuator body. The elongate member 17 is movable between a first position in which the projecting end 27 is of a first length, and a second position in which the projecting end 27 is of a second length, where it is held in place by a resiliently biased member 29 which opposes movement of the elongate member. The length of the projecting end 27 thereby being adjustable to suit the thickness of the door 11. Preferably the movement of the elongate member away from each of the positions exerts a perpendicular force on the resilient biased member, which may be a pin 29 and a spring 31.

Description

Lock actuator assembly Field of the Invention

The present invention concerns a lock actuator assembly. More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention concerns a lock actuator assembly that is suitable for use In a multipoint lock and Is adjustable to suit doors of differing thickness.

Background of the Invention

It is known to provide lock actuator assemblies for actuating multipoint locks. Such actuators may consist of an actuator body containing a cam and a plug. The cam may be mounted upon a plug, the plug being rotatable through the use of a connecting bar which connects the plug with, for example, a thumb turn or other handle. Rotating the handle causes the cam to rotate and actuate the multipoint lock.

Connecting bars supplied with prior art lock actuator assemblies are either of a specific length suited to a specific thickness of door (for example, a typical timber or composite door which may be approximately 45mm thick), or they are supplied as a long length and cut to an appropriate length to suit the actual thickness of the door in which the bar is fitted. Having to supply different lengths of bar or cut a bar to a required length creates extra complications in the procedure for fitting an actuator assembly to a door.

The present Invention seeks to mitigate the above mentioned problems.

Suiimiary of the Invention

The present invention provides, according to a first aspect, a lock actuator assembly arranged for mounting within a door, the lock actuator assembly comprising an actuator body, a cam rotatably mounted in the actuator body, and an elongate member rotatably coupled to the cam, wherein the elongate member comprises a received end and a projecting end, the received end being received within the actuator body and the projecting end projecting out of the actuator body, wherein the elongate member is movable between a first position in which the projecting end is of a first length, and a second position in which the projecting end is of a second length, the length of the projecting end thereby being adjustable to suit the thickness of the door.

The elongate member may for example be of generally rectangular cross-section. More particularly, it may be of substantially constant rectangular cross-section along its length. The elongate member may be longer than it is wide and wider than it is thick. The elongate member may be moved between the first and second positions in a direction substantially aligned with its longitudinal axis. The elongate member may be moved between the first and second positions in a direction substantially aligned with the axis of rotation of the cam.

The present invention is a lock actuator assembly which is advantageously arranged to be used with doors of differing thickness. In order to actuate the cam, access to the projecting end of the elongate member is required.

By being able to move the elongate member between a first position and a second position it is possible to ensure that the projecting end projects beyond the face of a door by a desired amount for both a door having a first thickness or a door having a second, different, thickness .

The first and second positions of the elongate member may be predetermined positions. There may be two or more predetermined positions. In an embodiment of the invention described below with reference to the drawings there are three predetermined positions. Whilst it is within the scope of the invention for the connecting member to be continuously adjustable along a path between two extreme positions, it is preferred that the elongate member is adjustable between discrete positions.

In use, a portion of the projecting end may project out from a face of the door when the lock actuator assembly is mounted within the door, and when the door is of a first thickness and the elongate member is in the first position, a first portion of the projecting end may project out from the face of the door; when the door is of a second thickness and the elongate member is in the second position, a second portion of the projecting end may project out of the face of the door and the difference between the length of the first portion and the length of the second portion may be less than the difference in the thickness of the doors. The difference in the lengths may be less than half the difference in the thickness of the doors.

The elongate member may be held in each of the predetermined positions by a resiliently biased member that opposes movement of the elongate member out of the respective predetermined position. The elongate member may be able to be moved manually out of the respective predetermined position against the bias of the resiliently biased member. The resilient bias may be provided by a spring.

Movement of the elongate member away from each of the predetermined positions may exert a force on the resilient biased member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the elongate member between the first and second positions.

The resiliently biased member may comprise a pin, the pin being positioned between a compression spring and the elongate member. A first end of the pin may engage the elongate member and a second, oppositely facing portion of the pin may be engaged by the spring. The pin may comprise a hollow section In which the spring may be received.

When the elongate member Is located In one of the predetermined positions, the first end of the pin may be received within and engaged with a recess in the elongate member. The engagement of the pin with the recess may be along an Inclined face whereby exerting a longitudinal force on the elongate member is able to drive the pin out of the recess against the resilient bias of the spring.

The first end of the pin may be chamfered such that it is arranged to act as a ramp. The first end of the pin may be conical. The first end of the pin may be frustoconical. An alternative arrangement that is less preferred but within the scope of the invention is for the wall of the recess to be a sloping wall that acts as a ramp .

Movement of the elongate member from one of the first or second positions to the other may cause an edge of the first recess to move along the ramp, thereby exerting a force on the pin against the force of the resilient bias and moving the pin out of the first recess .

The elongate member may have a second recess arranged such that when the elongate member is located in the other of the first and second positions, the pin is received within the second recess. More generally, the elongate member may have a plurality of recesses. The recesses may be substantially identical.

The lock actuator assembly may further comprise a plug which is rotatably mounted within the actuator body, the received end of the elongate member being received within the plug and the cam being mounted upon the plug such that rotation of the elongate member results in rotation of the plug and cam. The plug may include a passageway in which the elongate member is received. The passageway may have a substantially rectangular cross-section. The passageway may be disposed along the axis of rotation of the plug.

The plug may comprise a pin chamber and the pin may be located within the pin chamber. The pin chamber may be substantially cylindrical in shape. The pin chamber may be arranged such that the first end of the pin projects out of the pin chamber, towards the elongate member. The pin chamber may be arranged with a shoulder which abuts the pin and limits the projection of the pin towards the elongate member.

The lock actuator assembly may further comprise a clip, the clip being mounted upon the exterior of the plug and positioned over an open end of the pin chamber. An end of the spring may abut the clip, thereby retaining the spring and the pin within the plug, between the shoulder of the pin chamber and the clip.

The assembly may further comprise a handle, which may be a thumb turn, and/or another actuator, for example an electric motor drive, for receiving the projecting end of the elongate member. The handle and/or other actuator may be rotatably coupled to the elongate member.

The actuator body may comprise a first end and a second end and the connecting bar may project from the first end. The second end of the actuator body may be closed for obstructing entry into the second end of the actuator body. The second end of the actuator body may be chamfered to hinder gripping of the second end of the actuator body by a gripping device. An anti-drill pin may be provided in the region of the second end of the actuator body. Closing off of the second end of the actuator body, which may be the outer end of the body is appropriate when the bar is not to be actuated manually from outside, as may for example be the case if the assembly is remotely operated and motor driven.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is also provided a lock mechanism comprising one or more locking or latching members and a lock actuator assembly according to the first aspect of the invention. The lock mechanism may be a multipoint lock.

The multipoint lock may be provided on a door and the lock actuator assembly may be drivingly connected to the multipoint lock. Thus, according to a third aspect of the invention there is also provided a door comprising a lock actuator assembly according to the first aspect of the invention or comprising a lock mechanism according to the second aspect of the invention.

Description of the Drawings

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which;

Figure 1 is an exploded view of a lock actuator assembly according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lock actuator assembly mounted in a door and with the connecting bar located in a first position;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lock actuator assembly and door with the connecting bar being moved away from a first position; and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the lock actuator assembly and door with the connecting bar positioned mid-way between the first and second positions.

Detailed Description

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the lock actuator assembly 1 comprises an actuator body 2, having a first end 3 and a second, opposite, end 5. The actuator body 2 has the cross-section of a euro-profile cylinder such that it may be mounted within an aperture within a door that is shaped to receive euro-profile cylinders.

The actuator body 2 contains a substantially cylindrical plug 7 and a cam 9 mounted upon the plug 7 such that the cam 9 may be rotated by rotating the plug 7 within the actuator body 2. The cam 9 may be used, for example, to actuate a multipoint lock (not shown) by engaging a detent in the mechanism of the lock in a manner known per se .

Rotation of the cam is restricted in the installed assembly to about 200 degrees by engagement of a pin 8A biased into contact with the cam by a spring 8B which is compressed between the pin 8A and a stopper 8C.

The lock actuator assembly 1 is arranged to be mounted within a door 11, the door 11 having an interior side 13 and an exterior side 15, with the lock actuator assembly 1 operable from the inside 13 of the door 11 only. The second end 5 of the actuator body 2 (which faces the outside 15 of the door 11 when installed in the door 11) is solid and does not for example have an aperture for a key, or any other means of actuating the cam 9. Furthermore, the second end 5 of the actuator body 2 is chamfered such that, even if it is exposed within an opening in the door after an exterior cover plate is removed, if someone were to attack the actuator body 2 from the outside 15 of the door 11 they would not easily be able to remove the actuator body 2 using a gripping device, such as a pair of pliers. The assembly is further protected by an anti-drill pin 6 of hardened steel which is disposed in the chamfered end 5 of the actuator body 2.

As can be seen from Figure 2, the plug 7 is accessible at the first end 3 of the actuator body 2, which is next to the inside 13 of the door 11 when installed in the door 11. The lock actuator assembly 1 comprises a connecting bar 17, in the form of an elongate member, which rotatably couples the plug 7 with a handle and/or other actuator (not shown) mounted on the inside face 13 of the door 11. Such an arrangement allows for the cam 9 to be actuated using the handle and/or other actuator. The handle may for example be in the form of a thumb turn. The connecting bar 17 of the presently described embodiment of the invention is adjustably mounted so that it may be used on doors of different thicknesses .

The elongate connecting bar 17, which has a rectangular cross-section, is partially received in a corresponding rectangular passage 21 which passes through the plug 7, along the axis of rotation 23 of the plug 7. The connecting bar 17 is located within the plug 7 such that a received portion 25 of the connecting bar 17 is contained within the plug 7 and a projecting portion 27 projects out of the plug 7.

The connecting bar 17 is movable within the plug 7, along the axis of rotation 23 of the plug 7, between a first, a second, and a third position such that the length of the projecting portion 27 may be increased or decreased. When positioned in the first, second, or third positions a biasing arrangement ensures that the connecting bar 17 cannot move within the plug 7 without an external force being applied along the axis of rotation 23 of the plug 7, for example by someone manually adjusting the lock actuator assembly 1.

The biasing arrangement consists of a pin 29 and spring 31 arrangement which will now be described with reference also to Figures 3 and 4. The plug 7 comprises a cylindrical pin chamber 33 which projects radially inwards from the circumference of the plug 7, towards the internal passage 21, such that the pin chamber 33 intersects the internal passage 21. At the intersection of the pin chamber 33 and internal passage 21, the diameter of the pin chamber 33 decreases such that a shoulder 35 is formed between the internal passage 21 and the pin chamber 33. Such an arrangement allows for a pin 29 to be located within the pin chamber 33, with the distal end 37 of the pin 29 breaching the walls of the internal passage 21 such that the distal end 37 of the pin 29 is located within the internal passage, the pin 29 being prevented from moving further into the passage 21 by the pin 29 abutting the shoulder 35.

The pin 29, which is located in the pin chamber 33, has a conically chamfered distal end 37 which is arranged to move from the pin chamber 33 into the internal passage. The shoulder 35 located at the intersection of the internal passage 21 and the pin chamber 33 abuts the pin 29 adjacent the distal end 37 such that only the distal end 37 of the pin 29 may enter the internal passage. The pin 29 comprises a cylindrical spring chamber 41 which is located at the opposite end of the pin 29 to the distal end 37, the spring chamber 41 is arranged such that the spring 31 may be received in the pin 29. A cylindrical clip 43 is mounted around the outer surface of the plug 7 and positioned to cover the pin chamber 33 with a first end 45 of the spring 31 abutting the internal surface of the clip 43 and a second, opposite, end 47 of the spring 31 abutting the pin 29, the spring 31 being oriented radially inside the plug 7 such that the force exerted by the spring 31 on the pin 29 pushes the distal end 37 of the pin 29 into the passage 21 located within the plug 7. The pin 29 is therefore biased by the force of the spring 31 in a radial direction towards the internal passage 21 of the plug 7.

The connecting bar 17 comprises three recesses 49 which are located on the surface of the connecting bar 17 and are spaced along the length of the connecting bar 17.

The recesses 49, which in this example are through bores, are positioned and shaped such that the conical tip of the pin 29 may be received within each of the recesses 49. The first, second, and third positions of the connecting bar 17 therefore correspond to the pin 29 being engaged with each of the first recess 49A, second recess 49B, and third recess 49C, respectively. When the pin 29 is engaged with one of the recesses 49, the connecting bar 17 is biased towards that position and may not be moved without an external force being exerted along the axis of rotation 23 of the plug 7. As discussed, the connecting bar 17 may be moved from one of the first, second, or third positions by manually exerting a force along the axis of rotation 23 of the plug 7; the sequence of events that happens within the lock actuator assembly 1 when the connecting bar 17 is moved from the first position to the second position will now be described with reference to the cross-sectional drawings shown in Figures 2 to 4.

Figure 2 shows the pin 29 engaged with the first recess 49A such that the connecting bar 17 is biased into the first position. The connecting bar 17 may be moved to the second position by exerting a force along the axis of rotation 23 of the plug 7, away from the lock actuator assembly 1, in the direction of the arrow labelled X. As the connecting bar 17 moves in the direction of the arrow labelled X, the first recess 49A moves laterally relative to the pin 29, in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the force exerted on the pin 29 by the spring 31. As this happens, the conically chamfered tip of the pin 29 acts as a ramp which moves the pin 29 out of the first recess 49A, against the force of the spring 31, as can be seen from Figure 3. As the connecting bar 17 continues to move in the direction of the arrow labelled X, the distal end 37 of the pin 29 is moved completely out of the first recess 49A such that the distal end 37 of the pin 29 is now in contact with the surface of the connecting bar 17, as shown in Figure 4.

As can be seen from the figures, the connecting bar 17 may be positioned in the second position by continuing to move the connecting bar 17 in the direction of the arrow labelled X until the second recess 49B is located adjacent the pin 29 and the force of the spring 31 biases the pin 29 into the second recess 49B. The connecting bar 17 may be moved to the third position by continuing to move the connecting bar 17 in the direction of the arrow labelled X until the distal end 37 of the pin 29 is received in the third recess 49C. Conversely, the connecting bar 17 may be moved from the second position back to the first position (or from the third position to the second position) by moving the connecting bar 17 in the direction opposite to the arrow labelled X. The length of the projecting portion 27 may in this way be adjusted to suit doors of differing thickness.

Once the lock actuator assembly 1 according to the presently described embodiment of the invention has been installed in a door 11 and the projecting portion 27 has been set to the correct length, a handle (which may be, for example, a thumb turn) or other actuator may be mounted upon the end of the connecting bar 17 so that the cam 9 may be rotated by turning the handle or other actuator. In addition to the thumb turn, an electric motor drive may be coupled to the connecting bar 17 between the handle and the actuator body 2. Although the connecting bar 17 is not locked in, but merely biased in, the first, second, or third positions, once the handle is mounted upon the end of the connecting bar 17, the bar 17 is entirely enclosed and it will not be possible to apply axial force to the connecting bar 17, so the connecting bar 17 will remain in the desired position.

Where in the foregoing description, integers or elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.

Claims

1. A lock actuator assembly arranged for mounting within a door, the lock actuator assembly comprising an actuator body, a cam rotatably mounted in the actuator body, and an elongate member rotatably coupled to the cam, wherein the elongate member comprises a received end and a projecting end, the received end being received within the actuator body and the projecting end projecting out of the actuator body, wherein the elongate member is movable between a first position in which the projecting end is of a first length, and a second position in which the projecting end is of a second length, the length of the projecting end thereby being adjustable to suit the thickness of the door.

2. A lock actuator assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first and second positions are predetermined positions .

3. A lock actuator assembly according to claim 2, wherein the elongate member is held in each of the predetermined positions by a resiliently biased member that opposes movement of the elongate member out of the respective predetermined position.

4. A lock actuator assembly according to claim 3, wherein the elongate member can be moved manually out of the respective predetermined position against the bias of the resiliently biased member.

5. A lock actuator assembly according to claim 3 or 4, wherein movement of the elongate member away from each of the predetermined positions exerts a force on the resiliently biased member in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the elongate member between the first and second positions.

6. A lock actuator assembly according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the resiliently biased member comprises a pin, the pin being positioned between a compression spring and the elongate member.

7. A lock actuator assembly according to claim 6, wherein, when the elongate member is located in one of the predetermined positions, a distal end of the pin is received within and engaged with a recess in the elongate member.

8. A lock actuator assembly according to claim 7, wherein the engagement of the pin with the recess is along an inclined face whereby exerting a longitudinal force on the elongate member is able to drive the pin out of the recess against the resilient bias of the spring.

9. A lock actuator assembly according to claim 8, wherein the first end of the pin is chamfered such that it is arranged to act as a ramp.

10. A lock actuator assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the lock actuator assembly further comprises a plug which is rotatably mounted within the actuator body, and wherein the received end of the elongate member is received within the plug and the cam is mounted upon the plug such that rotation of the elongate member results in rotation of the plug and cam.

11. A lock actuator assembly according to claim 10 when dependent on any of claims 6 to 9, wherein the plug comprises a pin chamber and the pin is located within the pin chamber.

12. A lock actuator assembly according to claim 11, wherein the lock actuator assembly further comprises a clip, the clip being mounted upon the exterior of the plug and positioned over an open end of the pin chamber.

13. A lock actuator assembly according to any preceding claim, further comprising a handle for receiving the projecting end of the elongate member.

14. A lock actuator assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the actuator body comprises a first end and a second end and the connecting bar projects from the first end, wherein the second end of the actuator body is closed for obstructing entry into the second end of the actuator body.

15. A lock actuator assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the actuator body comprises a first end and a second end and the connecting bar projects from the first end, wherein the second end of the actuator body is chamfered to hinder gripping of the second end of the actuator body by a gripping device.

16. A lock mechanism comprising one or more locking or latching members and a lock actuator assembly according to any preceding claim.

17. A door comprising a lock actuator assembly according to any of claims 1 to 15.