IE20170199A1

IE20170199A1 - Lock cylinder guard

Info

Publication number: IE20170199A1
Application number: IE20170199A
Authority: IE
Inventors: Farmer Thomas; Jelley Paul
Original assignee: Assa Abloy Ltd
Priority date: 2016-09-27
Filing date: 2017-09-25
Publication date: 2018-05-30
Also published as: IE86954B1; GB201616388D0; GB2548177A; GB2548177B

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lock cylinder guard (1). The lock cylinder guard (1) comprises a body (3), wherein the body (3) comprises a first end portion (31) for surrounding a first portion of a lock cylinder spaced apart from a second end portion (33) for surrounding a second portion of the lock cylinder. A connecting portion (38) connects the first end portion (31) with the second end portion (33) with a space defined between the first (31) and second (33) end portions. <Figure 1>

Description

Lock cylinder guard Field of the Invention The present invention concerns lock cylinder guards.

The invention also concerns a method of installing a lock cylinder guard within a door leaf and a door leaf assembly including a lock cylinder guard.

Background of the Invention A lock cylinder guard can be installed in a door leaf, around a lock cylinder, to strengthen the lock cylinder and thereby protect the lock cylinder from being snapped by a person attempting a forced entry.

A known lock cylinder guard consists of various component parts, including two separate cylinder shrouds which are arranged to surround the lock cylinder on opposing sides of the lock cylinder cam. When installing such a lock cylinder guard within a door leaf, one of the cylinder shrouds and the lock cylinder are inserted into the door leaf and the correct position of the shroud on the cylinder is marked. The shroud and cylinder are then removed, the shroud is fixed on the cylinder in the marked position, and the shroud and cylinder are then inserted into the door leaf again. If the guard is marked or subsequently fixed incorrectly the whole process needs to be repeated. Therefore installing a lock cylinder guard and a lock cylinder within a door leaf can be laborious and time consuming process.

The present invention seeks to mitigate the abovementioned problem.

Summary of the Invention The present invention provides, according to a first aspect, a lock cylinder guard comprising a body, wherein the body comprises a first end portion for surrounding a first portion of a lock cylinder spaced apart from a second end portion for surrounding a second portion of the lock cylinder and a connecting portion which connects the first end portion with the second end portion with a space defined between the first and second end portions.

By providing a body having different portions, rather than parts which are separately mounted upon the lock cylinder, the guard can be easily installed within a door simply by placing the body within a channel in a suitably prepared door leaf. This arrangement facilitates the installation process, and is especially advantageous in dark and/or cramped spaces.

Whilst the end portions and the connecting portion of the body may in a broad aspect of the invention be initially formed as separate pieces and then may for example be fastened together by screw fasteners to form the body, it is especially preferred that the first end portion, the connecting portion and the second end portion are integral parts of the body. Those integral parts may be formed from a single piece of material.

The first end portion and the second end portion may be of substantially the same shape. The connecting portion may extend between the first and second end portions at one peripheral region of the portions, leaving the first and second end portions separated from one another in other regions. When, in use, a lock cylinder is received in the first and second end portions, a cam of the lock cylinder may be disposed between the first and second end portions.

The body may comprise opposing portions that are spaced apart but confront one another. A distance between opposing portions of the body may be adjustable for reducing the distance to clamp a lock cylinder. The opposing portions of the body may be separated by a space but connected together by a part of the body extending around an opening for receiving a lock cylinder. The opposing portions of the body may be integral with one another. They may be formed from the same piece of material. When, in use, a lock cylinder is received in the guard which is clamped onto the cylinder, inner curved surfaces on the guard may press against outer surfaces that are correspondingly curved on the lock cylinder. The inner curved surfaces may be provided on both the first end portion and the second end portion. Contact with the lock cylinder may be arranged to be made around substantially all of the inner surfaces of the guard. The natural (unstressed) position of the opposing portions may be one in which the space between the opposing portions is relatively great and the distance between the opposing portions may be reduced to clamp a cylinder; when in the clamping state, the body may be resiliently deformed.

The opposing portions may comprise parts of the first end portion, the connecting portion and the second end portion. The space between the opposing portions may define a slit extending along most or substantially all of the length of the body.

The first and second end portions of the guard may each define substantially cylindrical openings for receiving portions of a lock cylinder. The substantially cylindrical openings may be of substantially the same cross-section. The cross-section of the substantially cylindrical openings may be substantially the same as the cross-section of a Euro profile cylinder. The openings in the first and second end portions can be designed to suit the shape of a lock cylinder to be received. In the case of a Euro profile cylinder the shape is cylindrical in that the cross-sectional shape is constant along the length of the cylinder but the cross-sectional shape is not circular, as is known. In some cases the lock cylinder may have a key-operated cylinder at each end and in other cases there may be a thumb turn at one end and/or a cylinder may be able to be operated remotely by controlling a prime mover.

The distance between the opposing portions may be arranged to be reduced by movement of a block in a direction substantially along the length of the body.

That direction of movement may be transverse to the direction of movement of the opposing portions as the distance between them is adjusted. The block may cammingly engage the opposing portions to reduce the distance between them. The camming engagement may be between inclined faces of the block and the opposing portions. The faces may slide over one another during the camming engagement. The block may effect a bringing together of the opposing portions by a wedging action. A screw threaded member may engage the block. Screwing of the member may be effective to move the block along the length of the body. The screw threaded member may extend along the length of the body. It may pass through the first and second end portions. It may be disposed adjacent to the connecting portion. The screw threaded member may be screw threaded at one end which may be received in a screw threaded hole in the block. The screw threaded member may have a head at the opposite end. The block may be disposed at one end of the guard, bearing against the first end portion when the screw threaded member is tightened; the head of the screw threaded member may be disposed at the opposite end of the guard, bearing against the second end portion when the screw threaded member is tightened.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is also provided a set of parts for assembling into a lock cylinder guard according to the first aspect of the invention. Such a set of parts may be provided to an installer who may assemble the parts only at the time of installing the cylinder guard in a door leaf.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a door assembly comprising a door leaf, a lock cylinder guard according to the first aspect of the invention installed in the door leaf and a lock cylinder installed in the door leaf with the first and second end portions of the guard surrounding first and second portions of the cylinder.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a method of installing a lock cylinder guard according to the first aspect of the invention in a door leaf, wherein the method comprises the steps of: inserting the lock cylinder guard into a channel which passes through the door leaf in a first direction; inserting a lock casing into a receiving portion of the door leaf in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the first direction such that the lock casing passes between the first end portion and the second end portion of the body of the lock cylinder guard; and inserting a lock cylinder into the lock cylinder guard, with the first end portion of the guard surrounding a first portion of the lock cylinder and a second end portion of the guard surrounding a second portion of the cylinder.

The method may further comprise screwing the screw threaded member into the block to clamp the cylinder guard to the cylinder.

It will of course be appreciated that features described in relation to one aspect of the present invention may be incorporated into other aspects of the present invention. For example, the method of the fourth aspect of the invention may incorporate any of the features described with reference to the apparatus of the first aspect of the invention and vice versa..

Description of the Drawings Embodiments 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 cylinder guard according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a main body of the lock cylinder guard mounted within a door leaf; and Figure 3 shows the lock cylinder guard with a lock cylinder mounted within the main body.

Detailed Description A lock cylinder guard 1 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 1. The lock cylinder guard 1 consists of a main body 3, a fastener 5, and a block 7 and is arranged such that a lock cylinder 9 may be received and clamped within the main body 3, as shown in Figure 3, and then clamped around the cylinder 9 by screwing the fastener 5 into the block 7.

The main body 3 is formed in one piece and comprises a first end portion 31 spaced apart from a second end portion 33 and a connecting portion 38 which connects the first end portion 31 with the second end portion 33 at a lower region of the body 3, the first end portion 31, the connecting portion 38, and the second end portion 33 thereby forming a U shape. A Euro profile shaped channel 15 is formed in each of the first end portion 31 and the second end portion 33 of the body 3 such that a Euro profile lock cylinder 9 can be slid into the body 3 along its length direction, the length direction being parallel to the lock cylinder axis. When the cylinder is fully inserted into the body 3, the first end portion 31 of the body 3 surrounds a first portion of the lock cylinder 9 as a loose fit and the second end portion 33 of the body 3 surrounds a second portion of the lock cylinder 9 as a loose fit; in this position, the lock cylinder cam (not shown) is positioned between the first end portion 31 and the second end portion 33 of the body 3 and is thereby free to rotate and interact with a lock mechanism in a door leaf in a conventional manner.

The body 3 is arranged in its lower region with a split 37 which passes through the first end 31, connecting portion 38, and second end 33, thereby bisecting the lower region of the body 3. As such, the main body 3 comprises two opposing portions 32, 34 which, in use, are positioned on opposing sides of the lock cylinder 9. At the lower region of the body 3 the opposing portions 32, 34 define opposing faces of the split 37 and are spaced apart by a given distance. This distance can be reduced to clamp the body 3 in place around the lock cylinder 9, as will be explained below.

The lock cylinder guard 1 comprises a fastener 5 and a block 7 which are arranged in a nut-and-bolt type configuration wherein the block 7 comprises a screw threaded hole 71 which receives a screw threaded end (not shown) of the fastener 5, and the fastener 5 comprises, at its opposite end, a head 51; the head is formed with a socket (not shown) that is arranged to receive a hex key. In use, the fastener 5 is located within a hole 36 which passes through the first end portion 31 and the second end portion 33 of the body 3 in the lower region of the body 3,- the fastener 5 is aligned with the length of the body 3 and a substantial portion of the shaft of the fastener 5 sits adjacent the connecting portion 38. The screw-threaded end of the fastener 5 is received in the block 7 which is positioned immediately outside the first end portion 31 of the body 3 and may be tightened, by turning the head 51 which is positioned immediately outside the second end portion 33 of the body 3.

The block 7 and the body 3 are arranged with mutually complementary interengaging inclined faces 73, which are arranged to engage with one another as the fastener 5 is screwed into the block 7. The faces 30 are provided on opposing sides of the hole 36 and on opposing sides of the split 37. The block 7 is formed with a recessed portion defining the faces 73 which are arranged to receive and bear against the faces 30 as the fastener 5 is screwed into the block 7, resulting in the projecting portions 30 being drawn deeper into the recessed portion of the block 7; as this happens, the inclined faces 73 and 30 interengage, resulting in a wedging action which moves the opposing faces of the split 37 towards one another. In use, this wedging action results in the body 3 exerting a clamping force on the lock cylinder 9.

The lock cylinder guard 1 thereby simplifies the process of installing a lock cylinder guard 1 and lock cylinder 9 within a door leaf 11. The process of installing the lock cylinder guard 1 and the lock cylinder 9 within a door leaf 11 will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Firstly, the body 3 of the lock cylinder guard 1 is inserted into a passageway 111 which passes through the thickness of the door leaf 11 in a first direction. A lock casing 13 may then be inserted into a recess through an edge of the door leaf 11 in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the first direction, with the lock casing 13 passing between the first end portion 31 and the second end portion 33 of the body 3 of the lock cylinder guard 1.

The lock cylinder 9 is then inserted into the lock cylinder guard 1 and through the lock casing. A cylinder fixing screw (not shown) which fixes the lock cylinder 9 in place with respect to the lock casing is inserted into the edge of the door leaf through the lock casing and engages the hole conventionally provided in the middle of the lower region of the lock cylinder 9, this step being conventional per se. Finally, the fastener 5 is inserted through the body 3 and into the block 7, and then tightened to clamp the lock cylinder guard 1 onto the lock cylinder 9.

Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to a particular embodiment, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein.

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 cylinder guard comprising a body, wherein the body comprises a first end portion for surrounding a first portion of a lock cylinder spaced apart from a second end portion for surrounding a second portion of the lock cylinder and a connecting portion which connects the first end portion with the second end portion with a space defined between the first and second end portions .

2. A lock cylinder guard according to claim 1, wherein the first end portion, the connecting portion and the second end portion are integral parts of the body.

3. A lock cylinder guard according to claim 2, wherein the body is formed from a single piece of material.

4. A lock cylinder guard according to any preceding claim, wherein the body comprises opposing portions that are spaced apart but confront one another and a distance between opposing portions of the body is adjustable for reducing the distance to clamp a lock cylinder.

5. A lock cylinder guard according to claim 4, wherein the opposing portions of the body are separated by a space but are connected together by a part of the body extending around an opening for receiving a lock cylinder.

6. A lock cylinder guard according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the opposing portions of the body are integral with one another.

7. A lock cylinder guard according to any of claims 4 to 6, wherein the opposing portions comprise parts of the first end portion, the connecting portion and the second end portion.

8. A lock cylinder guard according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second end portions each define substantially cylindrical openings for receiving portions of a lock cylinder.

9. A lock cylinder guard according to claim 8, wherein the substantially cylindrical openings are of substantially the same cross-section.

10. A lock cylinder guard according to claim 9, wherein the cross-section of the substantially cylindrical openings is substantially the same as the crosssection of a Euro profile cylinder.

11. A lock cylinder guard according to any of claims 4 to 10, wherein the distance between the opposing portions is arranged to be reduced by movement of a block in a direction substantially along the length of the body.

12. A lock cylinder guard according to claim 11, wherein the block cammingly engages the opposing portions to reduce the distance between them.

13. A lock cylinder guard according to claim 12, wherein the camming engagement is between inclined faces of the block and the opposing portions.

14. A lock cylinder guard according to any of claims 11 to 13, wherein a screw threaded member engages the block and screwing of the member is effective to move the block along the length of the body.

15. A lock cylinder guard according to claim 14, wherein the screw threaded member extends along the length of the body and passes through the first and second end portions .

16. A lock cylinder guard substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. A set of parts for assembling into a lock cylinder guard according to any of claims 14 to 16.

18. A door assembly comprising a door leaf, a lock cylinder guard according to any of claims 1 to 16 installed in the door leaf and a lock cylinder installed in the door leaf with the first and second end portions of the guard surrounding first and second portions of the cylinder.

19. A method of installing a lock cylinder guard according to any of claims 1 to 16 in a door leaf, wherein the method comprises the steps of: inserting the lock cylinder guard into a channel which passes through the door leaf in a first direction; inserting a lock casing into a receiving portion of the door leaf in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the first direction such that the lock casing passes between the first 5 end portion and the second end portion of the body of the lock cylinder guard; and inserting a lock cylinder into the lock cylinder guard, with the first end portion of the guard surrounding a first portion of the lock cylinder and 10 a second end portion of the guard surrounding a second portion of the cylinder.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the cylinder guard is according to any of claims 14 to 16 and the 15 method further comprises screwing the screw threaded member into the block to clamp the cylinder guard to the cylinder.

21. A method of installing a lock cylinder guard, the 20 method being substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.