WO1989002021A1

WO1989002021A1 - Lock

Info

Publication number: WO1989002021A1
Application number: PCT/FI1988/000137
Authority: WO
Inventors: Heikki Riola; Heikki Iso-Kuusela
Original assignee: Insinööritoimisto Heikki Riola Ky
Priority date: 1987-08-28
Filing date: 1988-08-26
Publication date: 1989-03-09
Also published as: FI873747A0; FI78762B; FI873747A; FI78762C

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lock for doors and similar. The lock comprises a latch assembly (lock frame) (10) attached to the door/door frame, a latch bolt (12) pivoted to the lock box (11) belonging to the latch assembly, and a striker box (40) attached to the door frame/door. To the sides of the latch bolt (12), such shoulders (13) are shaped which protrude essentially crosswise from the latch bolt. The striker box (40) is equipped with an opening mainly corresponding to the shape of the cross-section of the latch bolt and with a supporting part (44), behind which the shoulders (13) of the latch bolt are arranged to turn, when the lock is being locked. The supporting part (44) and the shoulders (13) of the latch bolt prevent the latch bolt (12) from being moved longitudinally from the striker box (40) when the lock is locked.

Description

Lock

The present invention relates to a lock for doors and similar, which lock comprises a latch assembly (lock frame) attached to the door / door frame, a latch bolt pivoted to the lock box belonging to the latch assembly so that it swings in relation to the axis essentially parallel to the normal of the door surface, and a striker box attached to the door frame / door.

The most common arrangement in locks used for instance in doors is such that in the door there is a latch assembly and in the door fram there is a striker box (striker plate, latch box) , to which striker box the moving latch bolt is arranged to be pushed when the lock is in the locked position. The latch bolt is normally installed to the latch assembly to either slide or turn in it. In this kind of conventional locks the burglar-proofness of the lock is generally directly dependent on the length of the latch bolt being inserted to the striker box. Also, if this kind of lock is installed in a relatively lightly constructed and soft door, it is possible that, when the lock is broken, the burglary leaves no traces in the door o the lock, because a light and soft door gives up so much that the latch bolt slips out of the striker box.

The present invention provides a remarkable improvent in comparison with the Prior Art. It is charasteristic to a lock in accordance' wit the invention that the lock is equipped with a locking part fastened behind the latch assembly at the bottom of the lock notch, that to the sides of the latch bolt, on the opposite sides of the pivoting axis, along the length of the latch bolt, such shoulders are shaped which protrude crosswise from the latch bolt, i.e. parallely with th pivoting axis, and that the striker box is equipped with an opening mainly corresponding to the shape of the cross-section of the latch bolt and with a supporting part, whereat, when the lock is being locked, the latch bolt is arranged to turn in such a way that the supporting part and the locking part of the striker box lock the latch bolt in position and prevent the latch bolt from being moved longitudinally to either direction when the lock is locked.

Several important advantages are attained with an arrangement in accordance with the invention. As a shouldered latch bolt is used in a lock in accordance with the invention, and as the striker bo:; is so shaped that the shouldered latch bolt cannot lengthwise slide out of it, the length of the latch bolt has no influence on the burglar- proo ness of the lock. Should the lock however be broken, clear burglary traces are always left to the lock and the door. If a double—sided latch bolt and a separate locking part fastened to the latch assembly in accordance with an advantegous embodiment of the invention are also used in the lock, the latch bolt locks the door by the locking part behind the latch bolt assembly and also by the striker box. Then it will be impossible to longitudinally move the latch bolt to either direction. Therefore this lock is considerably more burglar-proof than conventional locks. When using a separate locking part, the construction of the lock box of the actual latch assembly can be very light — it can for instance be made of plastic, because no severe breaking pressures are applied to the actual latch assembly. The lock is suitable for solid and profile doors made of both wood and steel. As a shouldered latch bolt is used in the lock, the lock can, in addition to turning doors, be also used in swinging doors and sliding doors. The lock can be equipped with lock cores approved for service locks or safety locks; it can also be used as a power lock. Other advantages and characteristic features will be evident from the detailed description below.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the figures in the attached drawing.

Fig. 1A shows a side view of a lock in accordance with the invention in the locked position.

Fig. IB is the section view I-I in Fig. 1A.

Fig. 2A is a section side view of the latch assembly of the lock. Fig. 2B shows the front plate of the latch assembly seen in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 2A.

Fig. 2C is the section view II-II in Fig. 2A.

Fig. 3A is a side view of a locking part to be fastened to the latch assembly.

Fig. 3B shows the same is Fig. 3A in the direction of arrow B.

Fig. 3C shows the same as Figs. 3A and 3B seen in the direction of arrow C in Fig. 3A.

Fig. 4A shows a sectional side view of the striker box.

Fig. 4B shows the striker box seen in the direction of arrow D in Fig. 4A.

Figs. 5A-6B show various embodiments of a double-sided latch bolt used in the lock.

Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of an one-sided latch bolt used in the lock.

Fig. 8A shows a side view of an alternative embodiment of a lock in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 8B is a diagrammatic section view of the latch assembly of a lock in accordance with the invention.

Figs. 9 and 10 are diagrammatic illustrations of different moving mechanisms of the latch bolt.

In Figs. 1A to 4B of the drawing, the latch assembly is generally indicated with ref. no. 10, the locking part with ref. no. 30, and the striker box with ref. no. 40. The latch assembly 10 comprises a lock box 11 installed to the lock notch of the door, to which lock box the turning latch 12 bolt has been installed. In the embodimets of Figs. 1A to 2B, the latch bolt 12 is shaped like a circle from which a segment has been cut off. The latch bolt 12 is also equipped with a double-sided shoulder 13 located at the outer diameter of the latch bolt. Therefore the outer diameter of the latch bolt 12 is thicker than its other parts. Latch bolt 12 is turningly jointed to the lock box 11 at the turning point 14, around which the latch bolt can be turned to the locked position shown in Figs. 1A and 2A with phantom lines, and to the opened position shown in Fig. 2A with continuous lines. The front part of the lock box 11 is fastened to the front plate 15, which is arranged to be fastened to the vertical front edge of the door. In the the front part 15 there is an opening 16 for the locking bolt 12, which opening has an extension 17 for the shoulder 13 of the locking bolt 12. The shape of the opening 16 of the front plate therefore essentially corresponds to the shape of the cross-section of the locking bolt 12. In the front section 15 there is one set of holes 18 for fastening the front plate to the lock box 11, and similarly in the lock box 11 there is another set of holes 19 in the same position for fastening the the front plate 15 to the loc box 11 with a fastening screw 25 going through the holes, which fastening screw is fastened to the inner thread of a stud screw 23 going through the lock box 11. At the opposite end of the stud screw 23 there is an outer thread 24, which is inserted through a hole 21 located at the rear wall of the lock box 11 and screwed to the threaded hole 35 in the locking section 30. In the front plate 15 there is still another set of fastening holes 20, at which the front plate 15 is screwed to the front edge of the door, and in the rear wall of the lock box 11 there is an opening 22 for the locking section 30.

Thus the locking section 30 comprises a plate 31 fastened to the rea part of the lock notch of the door for instance with screws or by welding. For fastening with screws the plate 31 has fastening holes 36. The plate 31 has protrusions 32 perpendicular to the plate. The distance between these protrusions 32 is such that the groove 37 between them is is mainly slightly wider than the width of the shoulder 13 of the latch bolt. In the protrusions 32 there are inner expansions 33; the distance between these expansions is essentially smaller than the width of the shoulder 13 of the latch notch. In the ^■J expansions 33 there a supporting surfaces 34, behind which the shoulder 13 of the latch bolt is arranged to go when the lock is in the locked position.

The striker box 40 comprises a fastening plate 41, which has fastening holes 45 for fastening the striker box to the door frame. The the frame is made of metal, the striker box 40 can of course als be fastened by welding. In the fastening plate 41 of the striker box there is an opening 42 shaped like the latch bolt, which opening has enlargements for the shoulders 13 of the notch bolt. In the striker box there is also an expanding supporting section 44, behind which the shoulder 13 of the latch bolt is turned when the lock is in the locked position. In the striker box there is also a protecting case 46, which can be fastened to the notch in the frame for instance wit screws going through fastening holes 47.

When the lock described above is in the locking position, the latch bolt 12 with shoulder 13 ties together the locking section 30 behind the latch assembly 10 and the striker box 40 in the door frame. Therefore the door is locked by means of the latch bolt 12 both at the locking section 30 and the striker box 40. Thus the latch bolt 1 cannot, without breaking the lock, be moved in in the direction crosswise to the door; the latch bolt 12 can only be rotated around its pivot point 14. In the described embodiment, the lock box 11 can ^e very light, and it can for instance be made of plastic, because n high breaking pressures are applied to the latch assembly 10. Breaking pressures are mainly applied to the locking section 30 fastened to the door body, and to the striking box 40 fastened to th frame, which both are of sturdy construction. Should the lock box 11 b^e made of plastic, this plastic can be for instance APS, PVC or polycarbonate plastic.

Figs. 5A and 5B show an alternative embodiment of the latch bolt use in the lock. Fig. 5A shows a side view of the latch bolt 52, and Fig. 5B is the section view III-III in Fig. 5A. A latch bolt 52 in accordance with Figs. 5A and 5B differs from what was described abov in that from the latch bolt shaped like an arc of the circle segments are cut off from two opposite sides; therefore there is no continuous shoulder 53 in the latch bolt 52 but there are separate shoulders 53 on the opposite sides of the pivot point 54. Therefore the latch bolt is "double-sided". When the lock is in the locked position, one shoulder 53 of the latch bolt 52 will be located in the groove 37 between the protrusions 32 of the locking section 30, and the other shoulder 53 will similarly be located behind the supporting part 44 in the striker box 40. Because the latch bolt 52 is symmetrical as to its pivot point 54, the latch bolt can be rotated around its pivot point 54 in such a way that either of the the shoulders 53 of the latch bolt will, in the locking position, be located either in the locking part 30 or in the striker box 40.

Figs. 6A and 6B illustrate still another alternative embodiment of the double-sided latch bolt 62 used in the lock. Fig. 6A is a diagrammatic side view of the latch bolt 62, and Fig. 6B is a diagrammatic section view IV-IV in Fig. 6A. In the embodiment of Figs. 6A and 6B the shoulders 63 of the latch bolt are shaped as pins in such a way that they are not shaped like a part of an arc of a circle as in the embodiments described above. The embodiment of Figs. 6A and 6B also differs from what was described above in that the pivot point 64 of the latch bolt 62 is not centrally located in the latch bolt 62. In this embodiment the distance from the shoulders 63 at one end of the latch bolt to the pivot point 64 is longer that the distance from the shoulders at the oppsote end of the latch bolt to the pivot point 64. This kind of embodiment is quite evident, as the distance between the pivot point 64 and the groove 37 of the locking part 30 need of course not be as long as the distance between the pivot point 64 and the supporting part 44 of the striker box 40. The latch bolt 62 of the enbodiment according to Figs. 6A and 6B cannot b© completely rotated around its pivot point, as the latch bolt 62 is not symmetrical with respect to its pivot point 64.

Fig. 7 shows still another alternative embodiment of a latch bolt used in a lock. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic side view of the latch bolt 72. The embodiment of Fig. 7 essentially differs from what was described above in that at only one end of the latch bolt there is a shoulder 73, whereas the pivot point 74 is located at the opposite end of the latch bolt 72. Thus the latch bolt is "one-sided". When the lock is in the locked position, the shoulder 73 of the latch bol 72 in accordance with Fig. 7 will be located behind the supporting part 44 of the striker box 40. In the embodiment in accordance with Fig. 7 no such locking section 30 is needed in the lock as what was described in association with the earlier embodiments. Similarly, in association with the embodiment of Fig. 7, the lock box 11 of the latch assembly 10 should be very sturdy, as in the structure there i no locking section 30 for receiving breaking pressures. In the embodiment in accordance with Fig. 7, the breaking pressures are essentially applied to the lock box 11. In this respect it can be said that the previous embodiments are better than the embodiment of Fig. 7.

In the above description such an embodiment of the lock has been discussed in which the latch bolt of the lock is pivotingly fastened to the latch assembly. The latch bolt moving mechanism can also be embodied in may other ways, and Figs. 8A to 10 show some alternative embodiments of the latch bolt moving mechanism. Fig. 8A is a diagrammatic side view of a latch assembly and a striker box. In Fig 8A, the lock box 81 of the lock is shown with phantom lines. The latch bolt 82, equipped with a shoulder 83, is in Fig. A shown with continuous lines in the opened position and with dotted phantom line in the locked position. In Fig. 8B, the latch bolt 82 is shown in th opened position. In the embodiment of Figs. 8A and 8B, a pin-formed or similar guide 84 is formed to the latch bolt 82, and mating grooves 86 are formed to the lock box 81, along which the guides 84 are arranged to move. In addition to guides 84 and grooves 86 the latch bolt 82 is supported to the lock box 81 with joint arms 85, being, by means of one joint 87, joined pivotingly to the latch bolt 82, and with another joint to the lock box 81. Expansions 89 are formed to the lock box for grooves 86 of the lock box 81, which expansions are sturdy and functionally correspond to the locking par 30 of the previous embodiments. An opening 92 is formed to the front plate 91 of the latch assembly, and similarly an opening 94 has been formed to the fixing plate 93 of the striker box in the manner described above. Also such a supporting part 95 is formed to the striker box which is functionally similar to the supporting part 44 described above. When turning a lock in accordance with this embodiment to the locked position the latch bolt 82 moves as shown in Fig. 8 to the right in such a way that the guides 84 move along grooves 86. When the latch bolt 82 moves, the joint arms 85 simulataneously turn around joints 88 and force the shouldered front end of the latch bolt 82 rise up, whereat, when the latch bolt 82 is in the top position, the shoulder 83 can rise over the supporting part 95 in the striker box. When the latch bolt 82 is moved further on, the joint arms 85 force the front end of the latch bolt to be lowered, whereat the shoulder 83 of the latch bolt moves behind the supporting part 95 of the striker box. When the lock is in the locked position shown with dotted phantom lines, the latch bolt can therefore not be moved dircectly into the latch assembly, because the supporting part 95 of the striker box prevents this movement. The lock can be opened only by raising the latch bolt at the same time it is moved. When the lock is in the locked position, the guides 84 are also inserted into the ends of the grooves 86, whereat the latch bolt being in the locked position can be moved to neither direction, if the lock is not opened with the key. The burglar-proofness of a lock in accordance with the embodiment of Figs. 8A and 8B is therefore on par with such an above-described lock in which a latch bolt with a double-sided shoulder is used.

Fig. 9 diagrammatically illustrates an alternative embodiment of the moving mechanism of the latch bolt. In Fig. 9, the latch bolt is indicated with ref. no. 102 and the shoulder of the latch bolt with ref. no. 103. A latch bolt 102 in accordance with Fig. 9 is joined to the lock box (not shown) by means of joint arms 104, which, with the first joints 105, are pivoted to the latch bolt 102 and with the second joints 106 to the lock box (not shown) . Also with this kind of an embodiment the latch bolt 102 can, when being turned to the locked position, be made come downwards so that the shoulder 103 of the latch bolt moves behind a similar supporting part (not shown) in the striker box. The straight movement of the latch bolt 102 to the opened position is thus prevented.

Fig. 10 shows diagrammatically shows still another embodiment of the moving mechanism of the latch bolt. In this figure the latch bolt is indicated with ref. no. 112 and the shoulder of the latch bolt with ref. no. 113. In the embodiment of Fig. 10, guides 114, 116 are formed to the latch bolt 112. The first one 114 of these guides is fitted to the rear end of the latch bolt 112, and the second one 116 closer to the shoulder 113 of the latch bolt. The guides 114, 116 ca be similar to those described in association with the embodiment of Figs. 8A and 8B. In the same way, grooves 115, 117 are formed to the lock box (not shown) , along which grooves the guides 114, 116 are arranged to move. The shape of grooves 115, 117 can be so selected that the movement of the latch bolt 112 is as desired. The lock box (not shown) may, at the grooves 115, 117, be made sturdy in the same way as was described in association with Figs. 8A and 8B, whereat th ends of said grooves function in the same way as the locking part 30 described before. In^' igs. 8A, 8B and 10 it was described that the guides are arranged into the latch bolt and the grooves into the loc box. The arrangement can of course be reversed so that the required grooves are formed into the latch bolt and the guides into the lock box. The latch bolt moving mechanism can also be embodied in many other similar ways, with which the latch bolt is made move as desired.

The invention has above been exemplified with reference to the figures in the attached drawing. The invention is by no means restricted to aforementioned examples; they may vary within the framework of the inventional idea as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A lock for doors and similar, which lock comprises a latch assembly (lock frame) (10) attached to the door / door frame, a latch bolt (12; 52; 62) pivoted to the lock box (11) belonging to the latch assembly so that it swings in relation to the axis (14; 54; 64) essentially parallel to the normal of the door surface, and a striker box (40) attached to the door frame / door, characterized in that the lock is equipped with a locking part (30) fastened behind the latch assembly (10) at the bottom of the lock notch, that to the sides of the latch bolt (12; 52; 62) , on the opposite sides of the pivoting axis, along the length of the latch bolt, such shoulders (13; 53; 63) are shaped which protrude crosswise from the latch bolt, i.e. parallely with the articulation axis (14; 54; 64) , and that the striker box (40) is equipped with an opening (42, 43) mainly corresponding to the shape of the cross-section of the latch bolt and with a supporting part (44) , whereat, when the lock is being locked, the latch bolt is arranged to turn in such a way that the supporting part (44) and the locking part (30) of the striker box lock the latch bolt (12; 52; 62) in position and prevent the latch bolt (12; 52; 62) from being moved longitudinally to either direction (40) when the lock is locked.

2. A lock accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the shoulders (13; 53; 63) of the latch bolt reach, in the direction of the pivoting axis (14; 52; 62) , to both sides of the longitudinal center line of the latch bolt (12; 52; 62) .

3. A lock in accordance with claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the locking part (20) there are organs (32, 33, 34, 37) for catching the shoulders of the latch bolt (12; 52; 62) and for locking the shoulders in position.

4. A lock in accordance with one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the locking organs of the locking part (30) comprise protrusions (32) with expansions (33) and supporting surfaces (34) , said protrusions having a groove (37) between them for the shoulders (13; 56; 63) of the latch bolt to be inserted into so that the shoulders (13; 53; 63) of the latch bolt and the supporting surfaces prevent (34) the latch bolt from being moved longitudinally.

5. A lock in accordance with one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said shoulders (13; 53; 63) are, along the length of the latch bolt (12; 52; 62), shaped to the opposite ends of the latch bolt, whereat, when the latch bolt (12; 52; 62) is turned to the locked position, the latch bolt (12; 52; 62) is essentially supported at it both ends, on one hand to the locking part (30), on the other hand t the striker box (40) .