WO1998011318A1

WO1998011318A1 - A device to render possible opening of a closed door in a situation of panic

Info

Publication number: WO1998011318A1
Application number: PCT/SE1997/001558
Authority: WO
Inventors: Håkan HEDLUND
Original assignee: Assa Ab
Priority date: 1996-09-16
Filing date: 1997-09-15
Publication date: 1998-03-19
Also published as: SE9603366D0; SE9603366L

Abstract

A device for enabling a closed door to be opened, for instance in a panic situation, by exerting force in the opening direction of the door, wherein the device includes a press bar (2) that has a fixed part (3) attached to the door, and a pressure actuable part (4). Provided at one end of the press bar is a T-shaped bottom plate (22) which is covered by a casing (6) and which carries a central unit (23) of a movement transmission mechanism (9-16) mounted in the press bar. The casing (6) includes a recess (6a) for receiving a bottom plate carried cylinder lock (26) by means of which the bolts of the door locking mechanism can be moved to a door locking position also from inside the door. The inner cylinder lock (26) coacts with a spacer element which enables the outer cylinder lock to be anchored securely and enables the lock to be readily adapted to doors of varying thicknesses.

Description

A DEVICE TO RENDER POSSIBLE OPENING OF A CLOSED DOOR

IN A SITUATION OF PANIC

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device which enables a closed door to be opened in a panic situation for instance, by applying a force in the opening direction of the door.

More specifically, the invention relates to a device of the kind defined in the preamble of Claim 1.

Devices of this kind are sometimes called panic exit devices and enable the door to a locality to be opened, e.g., in an emergency situation in which a comparatively large number of people are pressed against the door. The door is opened for instance by someone applying upward pressure to the push bar, therewith obviating the need to actuate a door knob or handle in the conventional manner.

The mechanism housed m the lock housing is such as to enable the latch bolt and any lock bolt positioned in a locking position to be released through the medium of the movement transmission mechanism when the push bar is actuated in the aforesaid manner.

Different component parts may be fitted to the outside of the door, in compliance with the rules and regulations of different countries. In addition to a cylinder lock, which is normally mounted on the outside of the door, the door may also be fitted with a push handle or pull handle. When a doorknob or handle is fitted to the outside of the door, it is always possible to return to the room that has recently been evacuated. However, certain countries require a pull handle to be fitted to the outside of the door, therewith making t impossible to return easily to a room that has recently been evacuated unless someone has a key to the cylinder lock so that the latch bolt and lock bolt of the lock mechanism can be manoeuvered from outside the door.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various designs of push bars that include movement transmission mechanisms are known to the art.

The majority of these push bar assemblies function in accordance with the principle of enabling the lock mechan- ism to be actuated and the door opened m response to the application of a relatively small force m the opening direction of the door. The movement transmission mechanism is therefore normally comprised of a transmission arrangement that includes a link arm which is mounted inside the push bar and which at one end of the push bar actuates the latch lock follower and also the lock bolt mechanism via the lock mechanism in the lock housing when necessary, therewith enabling conversion of the rectilinear, outwardly directed movement to a rotational movement wh„le simulta- neously steppmg-up said movement to the necessary degree of safety and reliability.

The push bar assembly may be comprised of a 1 ixed bottom part, e.g. a rail or U-bar, and an actuator which is mounted in the rail or U-bar and movable relative thereto. The actuator may be roughly semi-circular m cross-section. Each end of the push bar assembly will normally include a cap, wherein the cap located on the end of the push bar positioned inwardly of the lock housing covers a central unit of the movement transmitting mechanism mounted on a bottom plate.

One drawback with hitherto known panic exit devices of this kind is that they can easily be forced unlawfully. Many of the proposed solutions completely lack the provision of a lock bolt. Examples of such known devices are to be found m US-A 1,500,167 and US-A 1,500,168 (both to Voight) , US-A 1,136,141 (to Kelley) and US-A 1, 555, 829 (to Carroll) . US-A 2,824,440 (Jewett, et al) gives an example of a panic exit device provided with a cremone or espagnolette type lock.

When a lock bolt is included, it has not always been possible to release the lock bolt from inside the door, and the cylinder lock mounted on the outside of the door is often anchored unsatisfactorily thereto, so that a potential thief or intruder is able to enter the locked room with comparative ease when the room is not in use.

This problem has become still more pronounced in cases where the thickness of a door varies, therewith causing difficulties in many cases of adapting the outside cylinder mechanism and the movement transmission mechanism and associated central unit fitted on the inside of the door to occurrent variations in the thickness of the actual door.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a more reliable device of the aforesaid kind that will afford better protection against forced entry or the like and which can be more easily adapted to occurrent variations m door thickness. A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the aforesaid kind that includes both a lockable latch bolt and lockable lock bolt that can be manoeuvered by a cylinder lock fitted externally to the door and by the press bar of a panic exit lock from inside the door, said panic exit lock including a nighttime locking function.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the aforesaid kind which has a safer and more reliable function than earlier known devices of this kud and which fulfills the rules and regulations of different countries with respect to resistance to vandalism and to different methods of attack on the lock from inside and outside the door.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other objects are fulfilled with an inventive device that has the characteristic features set forth in the characterizing clause of Claim 1.

Because in addition to carrying the central unit the bottom plate also carries a cylinder lock by means of which the lock bolt can be shifted between a released and locked state and by means of which the latch bolt can also be secured from inside the door, the inventive device provides considerably better protection against forced entry than hitherto known devices of this kind that cannot be unlocked from inside the door. The extra cylinder lock thus enables the latch bolt and the lock bolts to be both moved to a locking position from inside the door, while enabling both bolts to be released in a typical manner in a panic situation. The invention thus combines the ability to evacuate a room effectively in a panic situation with a device that is highly secure against forced entry. The provision of such a cylinder lock also enables the cylinder lock mounted on the door exterior to be anchored more securely. According to Nordic standards, reliable anchorage of an externally cylinder lock by means of screws that pass through the lock housing is an important characteristic of doors fitted with cylinder locks, with respect to both internally and externally fitted locks. The invention also enables this standard to be achieved in the case of panic exit doors of the kind in question.

It is preferred in practice that the casing covers the region of the bottom plate that carries the lock cylinder of the cylinder lock, and includes a lock-cylinder receiving recess. In other words, the casing is designed to protect both the central unit and the cylinder lock mounted on the bottom plate while enabling said unit and said lock to be accessed for service purposes.

It is also preferred that the dogging element of the inner cylinder lock coacts with means which, via a spacer element attached to the lock housing, makes its activation of the mechanism in the lock housing independent of the door thickness. Thus, this spacer element can contribute both towards more positive attachment of the external cylinder lock, e.g. with the aid of four screws inserted through the lock housing, while a twistable or rotatable dogging element received in the spacer element ensures reliable activation of mechanisms housed in the lock housing.

The dogging element on the spacer element can, in turn, be actuated readily through the medium of a rod extending from the dogging element on the cylinder lock, thereby ensuring simple and positive movement transmission and enabling the device to be readily adapted to varying door thicknesses. With the intention of achieving positive anchorage, the spacer element will conveniently have a shape that is adapted to the outer cylinder lock and will fce secured to the lock by means of a number of screws that pass through the lock housing.

For instance, when the external cylinder lock has a round shape, the spacer element will also have a round shape, therewith achieving reliable fixation of the external cylinder lock.

The cylinder lock mounted on the inside of the door may have a different shape, e.g. an oval shape, which facilitates reception of the lock in its recess in the casing.

The spacer element may also have attached thereto one or more guide pins which pass through the bottom plate and define its position in relation to other components of the device .

This enables the device components to take precise and accurately defined positions through the medium of the bottom plate, which is suitably T-shaped, therewith enhancing the reliability of the device as an entirety.

When the device is arranged to coact with an alarm system, such as disclosed in Claim 7, there is obtained the important advantage that passage through the door as a result of activating the panic exit lock, e g. during a given time of a calendar day, will cause the alarm to be triggered, whereas a person or persons leavαng the room with the aid of a key is/are able to pass through the doorway without the alarm being triggered. An added advantage m this respect is that a person or persons entering the room without permission, e.g. for the purpose of stealing, will be unable to leave the room without the alarm being triggered.

The length of the press bar may be varied in accordance with the width of the door. Thus, a limited number of standard lengths, e.g. between 800 and 1300 mm, may be marketed.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to exemplifying embodiments thereof and also with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a press bar included in an inventive device.

Fig. 2 illustrates an end part of the press rod m Fig. 1, with its activatable part and the casing over the bottom plate and the central unit mounted on one end of the bar removed.

Fig. 3 is a side view that illustrates some parts of the press-bar movement translating mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of part of a door of given thickness fitted with an inventive device, the press-bar casing not being shown.

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4 of another door of greater thickness than the door in Fig. 4 and fitted with an inventive device, with the press-bar casing not shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a press bar 2 of a device which enables a closed door to be quickly opened in a panic situation, by exerting a force in the door opening direction.

The press bar 2 has a fixed U-shaped bottom part 3 for fitting the press bar on the inside of the door, and a generally semi-circular part 4 that can move perpendicularly to the plane of the door.

The movable part 4 is connected to a movement transmission mechanism, the main parts of which are shown schematically in Figs. 2 and 3.

One end of the press bar carries a T-shaped unit which includes a bottom plate 22 which, in turn, carries the central unit of the movement transmission mechanism, said unit being designated 23 in Fig. 2, and which is covered by a casing 6 (Fig. 1) . The bottom plate 22 is joined to one end of the fixed bottom-part 3 of the press bar 2. The casing 6 includes at one end a recess 6a for receiving a cylinder lock 26, the function of which lock will be described in more detail with reference to remaining Figures.

A further casing, 7, is provided at the other end of the press bar 2.

The movement transmission mechanism illustrated m Figs. 2 and 3 is of conventional design and will not therefore be described m detail. The mechanism includes a link arm that comprises two parts 9, 12 which are pivotal relative to one another about a pivot shaft 11 and which pivots against the action of a torsion spring 10 when the actuable part 4, also indicated in Fig. 3, of the press bar is pressed inward towards the door. Movement of the l nk arm is transmitted to a press arm 15 pivotally mounted in the central unit 23 on a pivot shaft 16, via an element 13 and a shaft or pin 14 carrying said element.

Pivotal movement of the press arm 15 is, in turn, transmitted to a follower 20 connected to a square peg 21 that transfers said movement to a conventional lock mechanism (not shown) in a lock housing 29, shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The movement transmission mechanism 9-16 gears up movement of the movable part 4 of the press bar, i.e. so that even a small pressure against said activatable part 4 will result in the withdrawal of both the latch bolt and the lock bolt into the lock mechanism (not shown) housed in the lock housing 29.

The T-shaped bottom plate 22 that carries the central unit 23 of the movement transmission mechanism also carries a cylinder lock 26 whose lock cylinder has an oval shape in the illustrated case. This cylinder lock coacts with the lock mechanism in the lock housing such that the lock bolt 41 and the latch bolt 40 can be moved to their respective locking positions also from inside the door.

As will be evident from Figs. 4 and 5, there is mounted externally on the door a further cylinder lock 25. The centre axis of the lock plug extends coaxially with the centre axis of the plug of the internally mounted cylinder lock 26. The externally mounted cylinder lock 25 includes a dogging element 25a which is acted upon by the lock mechanism housed in the lock housing 29. To enable the device to be adapted to different door thicknesses, the inner cylinder lock 26 coacts with a dogc_fing element carried by a spacer element 31; more specifically the spacer element 31 and its dogging element 31a are attached to the lock housing.

The spacer element 31 has the same shape as the outer cylinder lock 25, i.e. the spacer element 31 is round in the case of the Fig. 4 and 5 embodiments.

Secure anchorage of the external cylinder lock 25 is made possible by means of four screws 35, thereby rendering the outer cylinder lock burglar-proof.

As will be evident from Fig. 5, the dogging element 31a on the spacer element 31 is actuated via a rod 30 on the standard dogging element (not shown) on the cylinder lock.

Attached to the spacer element 31 are two guide pins 38 which pass through the bottom plate 22. These pins function to accurately position the bottom plate and therewith also the remaining components carried by said plate, therewith enhancing the safety and reliability of the device with respect to evacuation of a room in panic circumstances. The guide pins 38 are cut to a suitable length in conjunction with fitting the lock device.

The screws that secure the inner cylinder lock 26 are designated 37.

Although not shown, the movable part 4 of the press bar 2 coacts with an alarm system through the medium of one or more elements of the movement transmission mechanism. The arrangement may be such as to cause the alarm system to be activated when the movable part 4 of the press bar is actuated by a person (an unauthorized person) who attempts to leave the room in this way. Such activation may optio- nally be time-controlled. Authorized persons having in their possession a key to the cylinder lock 26 are, on the other hand, always able to leave the room without triggering the alarm.

Claims

1. A device for enabling a closed door to be opened by means of a force exerted in the opening direction of the door, for instance in a panic situation, comprising a) a lock housing (29) fitted in a door (5) and housing a latch bolt (40) and a lock bolt (41) and associated mechanisms that coact at least partially; b) an activating unit disposed preferably horizontally on the inside of the door and including a press bar (2) having a fixed bottom part (3) mounted on the inside of the door and an actuable part (4) which is movable perpendicularly to the plane of said door; c) a movement transmission mechanism (9-16) which is accommodated in the activating unit (2) and which when pressure is exerted against the actuable part (4) converts inward movement of said actuable part towards the door to rotary movement of the follower (20) of the lock mechanism or mechanisms; d) a cylinder lock (25) mounted on the outside of the door (25) for movement of the latch bolt (40) and the lock bolt (41) to their respective locking and unlocking states from outside said door; and e) a casing (6) at least at one end of the press bar (2), said casing covering a central unit (23) included m the movement transmission mechanism (9-16) and carried by a bottom plate (22) , characterized in that in addition to carrying the central unit (23) the bottom plate (22) also carries a cylinder lock (26) for locking the latch bolt (40) and the lock bolt (41) also from inside the door (5) .

2. A device according to Claim 1, characterized ,in that the casing (6) also covers that region of the bottom plate (22) that carries the lock cylinder of the cylinder lock (26) , and also includes a lock-cylinder receiving recess (6a) .

3. A device according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterized in that the dogging element of the inner cylinder lock (26) coacts with means (30) which render activation of the mechanism in the lock housing independent of the thickness of the door (5) , through the medium of a spacer element (31) attached to the lock housing (29) .

4. A device according to Claim 3, characterized in that the shape of the spacer element (31) is similar to the shape of the outer cylinder lock (25) and in that said spacer element is connected to said outer cylinder lock by means of screws (35) that pass through the lock housing (29) .

5. A device according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, characterized in that the spacer element (31) has attached thereto one or more guide pins (38) which pass through the bottom plate (22) and function to define the position of said plate in relation to other device components.

6. A device according to any one of Claims 1-5, characterized in that the bottom plate (22) and the casing (6) form a generally T-shaped unit which is connected to one end of the fixed bottom part (3) of the press bar (2) .

7. A device according to any one of Claims 1-6, characterized in that the movable part (4) of the press bar (2) is adapted for coaction with an alarm system that is activated upon actuation of the movable part of said press bar, e.g. at certain times in a calendar day, but which remains inactive when the door is opened or unlocked with the aid of a key fitted in the cylinder lock (26) carried by the bottom plate (22) .