WO2009019334A1

WO2009019334A1 - Safety latch for closing plate, manhole cover or the like of an access to an underground volume in a street, a yard or the like

Info

Publication number: WO2009019334A1
Application number: PCT/FR2008/000818
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean Lang; Damien Peigne; Christophe Quignon
Original assignee: Fonderies De Brousseval Et Montreuil
Priority date: 2007-07-20
Filing date: 2008-06-12
Publication date: 2009-02-12
Also published as: FR2919001A1; FR2919001B1

Abstract

The device of the invention is characterised by the following members: a male part (5) connected to the closing plate having a lock through-passage (16) for the key (4); a female part (6) pivotally mounted on the male part (5) and having a locking pivotal bolt (7) protruding on the outer outline (20) thereof for engaging a strike (22), and a substantially central lock through-passage (24) for the removable locking/unlocking key (4); an assembling means or pivoting the male (5) and female (6) parts of the latch (1), the key (4) having an eccentric (42) actuation (40) end d1 defining an anti-extraction abutment. The invention is particularly intended for manufacturers of manhole covers, catch basins, sight holes and the like.

Description

Safety latch for a closure plate, pad or the like of an access to an underground volume in a roadway, yard or other.

The present invention relates to a locking / unlocking device or key lock of a removable or pivoting pad, plate or other closure element for a manhole or the like, for example a telecommunication network hatch, on a fixed chassis of access to an underground volume of a roadway, yard or the like.

More particularly, the lock according to the invention is of the type in which the operating key can be used to lift the pad or the plate and in which the removal of this key requires to rotate to bring it into a position of extraction corresponding to the locking position.

It is known to replace traditional massive cast iron buffers with lighter buffers, for example malleable cast iron or spheroidal graphite. However, because of their lower weight, they are likely to be lifted accidentally, for example by the passage of vehicles, which can cause, inter alia, accidents of vehicles or people.

In addition, it is necessary to lock the manhole buffers in a tamper-proof manner in order to prohibit their opening to unauthorized persons, whether they are ill-intentioned, or simply for their own safety.

Many locking / unlocking devices have therefore been developed for the manhole buffers which include a removable key provided for penetrating into a shape cavity. and dimensions corresponding to those of the end of the key to actuate a pivoting latch.

Noting that staff maneuvering this type of buffer frequently forget to proceed with locking, the aforementioned devices have been perfected so as to make it impossible to extract the key when the removable buffer or swivel manhole is unlocked. For example, the removal of this key requires to rotate to bring it to a position for its extraction, a position that corresponds to the locking of the buffer.

Of course, the automatic locking devices of the buffer will be discarded when it is closed, mainly in order to avoid any risk of accidental confinement of the personnel entering the underground volume under the gaze.

Advantageously, it is generally planned to be able to use the unlocking key of the pad to lift the latter, the latter forming a handle for lifting the pad so as to allow immediate access to the underground network connected to the manhole. Due to their shape, these keys are unfortunately usually bulky and impractical to store and store.

The object of the invention is to improve the inviolability of existing locking / unlocking devices or locks for manhole buffers or the like. Among the existing unlocking / unlocking devices intended to offer improved tamper resistance, mention may be made of those disclosed by the patent applications FR No. 2376919 in the name of DUMORTIER and US No. 5564860 in the name of MAX AMANN. However, in these devices, the mechanism ensuring the locking of the buffer in its frame is relatively easy access from the outside. Thus, these locking devices are far from inviolable.

To solve this technical problem, other locking / unlocking devices for the manhole buffers have been developed.

By the patent applications FR No. 2780996 and EP No. 1593780 in the name of NORINCO, there are known, for example, locking / unlocking devices with the key of a buffer on a frame which prevent 1 fraudulent access and the operation of the lock with a tool other than that necessary to operate this lock. These devices are, however, unsatisfactory in that they each have a hollow access volume to the lock in which water and dirt can accumulate. This accumulation can eventually prevent access to the lock or damage, whether due to freezing of water accumulated, fouling by waste or oxidation of the metal parts of the device.

In addition, the aforementioned NORINCO devices do not allow the introduction of an explosimeter probe through the opening, as is sometimes required before lifting a closure plate and any act of unlocking to control the nature and concentration of gas inside the chamber below. In addition, these devices have many components, which greatly increases their cost, and there are many of these elements fragile and deteriorating parts, which may result in maintenance, maintenance and repair costs. frequent and important. To solve these technical problems, the device according to the invention comprises a lock passage opening and therefore not fouled, providing in its central part an open through volume allowing the possible introduction of an explosimeter probe or any other device, such as as for example a cable, a bundle of optical fibers, a miniature vision device, or a mini-camera. The locking / unlocking device or lock of the invention has also been validated by the National Center for Prevention and Protection CNPP according to the standards in force at the time of filing.

In order to satisfy all the various other technical problems mentioned above, the locking / unlocking device or latch of the invention comprises a pivot bolt provided to engage in a striker attached to the frame of the buffer by means of a actuating mechanism pivotally driven by a security key and means for retaining the key when the locking / unlocking device is in the open position, the key then being able to act as a handle for manipulating the buffer opening or closing .

The actuating mechanism has a male part welded to or integral with the cast iron eye on which is pivotally mounted a female part having the locking pivot bolt. These two solid and monobloc parts are fixed, for example by means of screws of sufficient diameter so that the assembly is extremely robust.

Access to the retaining screws is hidden and difficult by the top of the pad. The device is not fracturable from the outside, for example at using a drill.

The locking / unlocking device or latch of the invention is actuated by means of a customizable fingerprint for example cylindrical flat, which is locked in extraction by a protruding portion when the lock is in the open position, this which means that if the buffer is closed and the key is not in its hole, this buffer is necessarily locked. Advantageously, the key in the unlocking position also serves as a handling handle.

Similarly, forcing the device of the invention with a common tool, such as a screwdriver, is impossible because the device has no access to the area that actuates the lock.

Advantageously, the device 1 of the invention also comprises a spring-like push-button accessory avoiding unlocking by vibrations and vibrations due to the passage of vehicles and further allowing a precise adjustment of the force to be applied to the opening of the lock.

Finally, the key itself has an advantageous ergonomic design and is designed with several positions that allow among other things to deploy it to use as a handling handle or fold to reduce its size for a easy storage and storage. Other features and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows, description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

. FIG. 1 is a perspective view from above of an open position pivoting buffer with a latch according to FIG. the invention and wherein there is introduced a removable key lock / unlock; Figure 2 is a perspective view from below of a manhole buffer equipped with the lock of the invention in the open position; Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views from below of the buffer of Figure 2, respectively in the open position and closed; Figures 5 and 6 are views in median cross section of the buffer of Figure 2 along the section plane V, VI-V, VI, respectively in the open and closed position; Figure 7 is a dissociated perspective view of the lock of the invention; Figure 8 is a medial cross sectional view of the lock of the invention at its bolt; Figure 9 is a perspective view from above of the female part of the lock of the invention, Figure 10 is a perspective view of a removable key for locking / unlocking the lock according to the invention in the folded position; Figures 11 and 15 are perspective views from below showing the actuation of the lock of the invention with a key, respectively in the open and closed position; Figures 12 and 16 are bottom views showing the position of the male portion ¹ of actuation of the key on the underside of the male part of the lock, respectively in open and closed position; Figures 13 and 17 are views in median cross section of the lock of the invention at its bolt, respectively in the open and closed position; and FIG. 14 is a detail view corresponding to Figure 13, in which the key is pulled upwards but held captive, its actuating male impression abutting by its shoulder against a portion of the lower face of the male part of the lock.

The locking / unlocking device, or simply lock, according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 17. The equivalent elements shown in the different figures will bear the same reference numerals.

In the rest of this description we shall define the notions of high and low, of inferior and superior, etc. according to the orientation adopted by the removable buffer or swivel manhole and the lock of the invention in normal use mode, that is to say when the buffer is housed in its chassis on the floor and that the lock of the invention is mounted on its underside, the pivoting latch bolt of the female part being horizontal in the lower part of the latch. It is obvious that this orientation will not necessarily be kept in use.

As represented in the various figures, the latch 1 of the invention is designed to be mounted on the lower face 2 of a removable or pivoting pad 3 of the manhole and to be actuated by a removable key for locking / unlocking 4.

This locking / unlocking device or lock 1 has a male part 5 fixed to or in one piece with the lower face 2 of the buffer 3, and a female part 6 having a locking pivot bolt 7 mounted on the male part. 5. The joining the male part 5 to the lower face 2 of the buffer 3 can advantageously be done by welding, screwing, or by any other suitable means. The male 5 and female 6 parts of the bolt 1 of the invention, preferably solid and monobloc, are assembled to be pivotable relative to each other by means of a fixing means preferably inaccessible from the outside buffer 3, for example in the form of two screws 8, the head of each presses on a washer 9 and having a diameter sufficient for the assembly is extremely robust. The front end 10 of these screws 8 is screwed into a threaded bore 11 located in the lower face 12 of the male part 5 while the rear end 13 thereof has a screwing head 14, here represented as a example in the form of a cylindrical head with hexagon socket.

The male part 5 is preferably in the form of a substantially frustoconical cylindrical body 15 having a substantially central through passage 16 for the removable locking / unlocking key 4. The lower face 12 of the male part 5 has a substantially lower average diameter to that of its upper face 17 to be introduced into a receiving cavity 18 formed in the upper face 19 of the female part 6 of the latch 1. This female part 6 comprises a bolt 7 projecting from its outer periphery 20, preferably flush with its lower face 21. This bolt 7 is provided to engage conventionally in a keeper 22 attached to a frame or frame 23 of the buffer 3 during pivoting of the female portion 6 of the latch 1. In addition to the receiving cavity 18 formed in its upper face 19, the body of the female part 6 also has a through passage 24 substantially central to the removable key lock / unlock 4, and two bean lights 25 on either side of a central axis each describing substantially a quarter circle for the passage of the body of the screws Previous 8 They form pivoting guides for the displacement of the female part 6 on the lower part of the male part 5 of the lock 1 of the invention. A friction adjusting element 26, for example in the form of a spring-loaded push-fit accessory, is screwed through a threaded passage 27 into the body of the female part 6 so as to project on the upper face 19 of the latter and abut against the lower face 12 of the male part 5 of the lock 1 of the invention. This friction adjusting element 26 preferably has a head accessible from below the lock 1 so as to be screwed and unscrewed by a suitable tool to adjust the protrusion of the protrusion out of the upper face 19 of the female part 6. This adjustment is of course in the open position of the buffer 3 and preferably during the introduction of the lock 1 of the invention. This friction adjusting element 26 makes it possible to ensure a certain degree of friction between the male part 5 and the female part 6 of the lock 1 of the invention in order to avoid any unwanted unlocking thereof, for example by the vibrations and trepidations caused by the passage of vehicles. This friction being furthermore adjustable, it is possible to precisely adjust the force required to apply for the opening and closing of the latch 1. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lower face 12 of the part male 5 of the lock 1 may further have indentations 28 located on the stroke of the contact end of the friction adjusting element 26 so as to index positions, for example end of stroke thereof. The operator can not see from the outside if the lock 1 is in the locked or unlocked position, these indentations 28 advantageously provide information on the positioning state of the lock 1. Thus, the friction adjustment element 26 also serves as an anti-vibratory indexing means.

The locking / unlocking device or lock 1 of the invention is designed to be actuated in locking and unlocking by means of the removable locking / unlocking key 4 as shown in the folded position in FIG. 10 in a preferred embodiment. of it.

This key 4 has an elongate body 29 forming a locking / unlocking rod 30 and at one end 31 a second elongated body 32 pivotally mounted, for example by means of a pin 33 retained in a transverse bore 34, forming An operating rod 35. These two elongated bodies 29, 32 can therefore be pivoted relative to each other.

The operating rod 35 preferably has a handle portion that can be pivoted substantially at right angles to the locking rod 30 to provide a tangential grip allowing the operator to pivot the locking rod 30 with sufficient force to actuate the lock 1 in lock or unlock. The operating rod 35 can also come to fold to be placed parallel to the rod of lock 30 to have a small footprint suitable for storage and storage.

The locking rod 30 and the operating rod 35 are preferably kept at a distance from each other by means of a spacer 36 mounted on the retaining pin 33. The latter pin 33 can for example be in the form of an assembly 33 consisting of a screw 37 and a nut 38, for example of the "Nylstop" type. At its free end, namely its lower end 39, the locking rod 30 has a male actuating fingerprint 40 provided to penetrate through the substantially central lock passage 16 of the male portion 5 of the lock 1 and into the substantially central through opening 24 of the female part 6 of the latch 1 in order to cooperate with a complementary receiving cavity 41 provided in the substantially central through opening 24 of the female part 6. In a preferred embodiment, the male imprint The actuator 40 of the key 4 is of cylindrical shape with flat or cutaway.

The complementary receiving cavity 41 of the female part 6 of the lock 1 is of shape and dimensions corresponding substantially to that of the male portion of ^one actuator 40, so that when the key 4 is rotated in one direction or in the other, the latter drives the female part 6 of the lock 1 carrying the bolt 7, either in locking or unlocking.

The impression male d ¹ actuator 40 of the removable key locking / unlocking means 4 preferably has an end portion 42 that is off-center to say misaligned with the longitudinal axis of the rod so as to form a portion lateral projection forming a shoulder provided for retain the male fingerprint ¹ actuation 40 in the lock 1 against the lower surface 12 of the male portion 5 of the latch 1 when the locking / unlocking device 1 of the invention is in the unlocked position. In this unlocked position, the key 4 being a prisoner, it is impossible to extract it from the lock 1 and it can serve as a lifting handle for opening or lowering the manhole buffer 3 without it being necessary to use a other lifting tool. Again, the handle body of the operating rod 35 of the key 4 is particularly advantageous.

So that the locking / unlocking rod 30 of the removable key 4 enters the latch 1 so as to position its male actuating fingerprint 40 substantially at the same height as the complementary receiving cavity 41 of the female part 6 of the latch 1, the locking / unlocking rod 30 of the removable key 4 preferably has a transverse projecting surface forming a stop 43, for example fixed on the locking rod 30 by means of a screw 44. By unscrewing this screw 44, it is it is possible to adjust the distance between the abutment 43 and the actuating male recess 40 so that after screwing, the actuating male cavity 40 arrives at substantially the same height as the complementary receiving cavity 41 of the part female 6 of the latch 1 when the locking rod 30 is inserted into the latch 1 until its stop 43 is in contact against the upper surface of the buffer 3.

Of course, the male portion of ^one actuator 40 of the key 4 may be customizable so that the same key can open only a certain type of lock.

The opening of a pavement manhole buffer 3 equipped with a preferred locking / unlocking device 1 of the invention by means of the removable locking / unlocking key 4 is extremely simple. This key 4 is first introduced into an opening 45 located on the outer portion of the pad 3. The lower portion 39 of the locking / unlocking rod 30 of the key 4, namely the length of the rod located under the transverse projection forming stop 43, engages through this opening 45 to enter the locking / unlocking device 1 of the invention until the lower face of the abutment projection 46 is in contact against the outer upper surface of the buffer 3. The male fingerprint 40 of the key 4, located at the lower end 39 of the locking / unlocking rod 30 of the key 4 _f then enters the corresponding female cavity 41 of the pivoting female part 6 of the locking device. locking / unlocking or latch 1 of the invention having the latch locking bolt 7. By pivoting the removable locking / unlocking key 4 by a quarter of a turn, the female part 6 of the locking device e locking / unlocking 1 of the invention rotates a quarter of a turn and the locking pivot bolt 7 in one piece with this part 6 comes out of the keeper 22 attached to the frame 23 of the buffer 3 in which it was housed . In order to have a tangential force sufficient to pivot the removable locking / unlocking key 4, the user uses the operating rod 35 of the key 4 at the upper end 31 of the locking rod 30 of the key 4 (Figure 1). As seen previously, in this unlocked position of the lock 1 (Figures 2, 3, 5, 11, 12, 13 and 14), it is impossible for the user to remove the key 4 of the lock 1, but he can use it as a handle for manipulating the buffer 3 in opening or closing.

Closing of the latch 1 is then performed by the reverse maneuver, that is to say by pivoting the latch 1 a quarter turn in the opposite direction. When the latch 1 is then in the locked position (FIGS. 4, 6, 15, 16 and 17), the actuating male cavity 40 of the key 4 no longer abuts against the lower surface 12 of the male part 5. of the lock 1 and the user can remove the key 4 from the lock 1.

It will be noticed that when the key 4 is not inserted into the latch 1, the latter has a through passage 16, 24 allowing for example access through the buffer 3 for a probe, a cable or any other elongated object of small diameter.

Advantageously, these through passages 16, 24 also prevent any accumulation of water and dirt that could foul lock 1 or damage. It is not possible to operate the lock

1 from outside with a tool other than the key 4. Indeed, no access is visible on the area 41 which actuates the lock 1.

Similarly, no screw 8 or the like is visible from the outside, which could for example be pierced to force the lock 1. No access to the lock 1 is possible when the buffer is closed.

In addition, being composed only of robust parts and insensitive to wear, the lock 1 of the invention is exceptionally resistant to wear and time. Advantageously, the lock 1 of the invention is entirely made of cast iron with stainless steel screws to withstand particularly aggressive atmospheres of any kind. It is inexpensive, easy to set up and does not require any particular maintenance or maintenance.

Finally, the bolt 1 of the invention offers optimal safety guarantees in that it firstly comprises a friction adjusting element avoiding any inadvertent unlocking of the latch 1 by vibrations and vibrations caused by the passage of vehicles, and in that the buffer is necessarily locked in the absence of a key 4. This security is preferably increased by gluing the fasteners with the threadlocker.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above and shown in the various figures for the lock 1 and its key 4, the skilled person can make many modifications and imagine other variants without departing from either the scope or the scope of the invention.

Similarly, although the lock 1 of the invention has been described here for a buffer or a closure of an access to an underground volume of roadway 3 or the like, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art to adapt it to all kinds of roadside equipment such as closing element, manhole, hatch, etc.

Claims

A key lock (4) having improved security for a removable or pivoting pad, plate or closure member (3) for access to an underground volume beneath a carriageway, a yard or the like from a fixed frame ( 23), in which the key (4) operating the lock of the device can act as a handle for raising the buffer or lowering it, characterized in that it comprises the following elements:

. a male part (5) integral with the buffer or the closure of the manhole (3) and having a substantially central throughpass passage (16) for the removable key lock / unlock (4);

. a female part (6) pivotally mounted on the male part (5), integral with a locking pivoting bolt (7) projecting from its outer periphery (20) intended to engage in a striker (22) attached to the frame (23) of the buffer (3) and a substantially central through-hole (24) for the removable locking / unlocking key (4); . means for assembling the male and female parts (5) and (6) inaccessible from outside the buffer (3) for pivotally mounting the male (5) and female (6) parts of the latch (1), the lock passages (16) and (24) form, when in correspondence, a through-lock for the key (4) in the closed position, in that the key (4) has a male actuating fingerprint (40) provided to penetrate through the substantially central lock passage (16) of the male part (5) of the lock (1) and into the substantially central through opening (24) of the part female (6) of the latch (1) to cooperate with a complementary receiving cavity (41) provided in the substantially central through opening (24) of the female part (6) and in that the actuating male cavity (40) of the key (4) removable locking / unlocking (4) blocks the key in its extraction movement when the latter is in the open position.

2. Lock according to claim 1 characterized in that the lock passages (16) and

(24) are facing and extended in the closed position and offset in the open position.

3. Lock according to the preceding claim characterized in that the lock passages (16) and (24) are cylindrical openings with circular section cutaway.

4. Lock according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises an accessory (26) spring-like push-button avoiding unlocking by vibration and trepidation when passing vehicles and also allowing a precise adjustment of the force to be applied when the lock (1) is opened.

5. Lock according to claim 1 characterized in that the female part (6) comprises two slots (25) shaped bean centered on the pivot axis.

6. Lock according to the preceding claim characterized in that the female part (6) is pivotally mounted on the male part (5) by means of two screws (8) each passing through a slot (25) to come to a stop. in the bottom of the body of the male part (5), the lights (25) serving as a guide to the pivoting movement.

7. Lock according to claim 1 characterized in that the key (4) has a male end imprint having a section complementary to that of the lock passages (16) and (24) of the male (5) and female (6) portions and forming an anti-extraction abutment shoulder against an inner surface of the male part ( 5).

8. Lock according to the preceding claim characterized in that the male cavity is an end piece (40) offset to form an anti-extraction abutment shoulder.

9. Lock according to the preceding claim characterized in that the end piece (40) has a cylindrical cutaway shape.

10. Lock according to claim 1 characterized in that the key (4) is a body formed of two pivotally articulated parts, one of which forms a handle for handling and gripping.