WO2012042254A1

WO2012042254A1 - Portable door lock

Info

Publication number: WO2012042254A1
Application number: PCT/GB2011/051824
Authority: WO
Inventors: Charles John Halliday
Original assignee: Charles John Halliday
Priority date: 2010-09-27
Filing date: 2011-09-27
Publication date: 2012-04-05
Also published as: GB201016154D0; GB2483919A; EP2622158A1

Abstract

A portable door lock comprises a retaining means (2) for engaging a door and a connecting portion(3) freely slidable beneath the door. Jacking means (12, 8) co-operate with the connecting portion to lift the free end of the connecting portion, thereby jamming the elongate member under the door to prevent opening thereof. Locking means (7,15) selectively prevent release of the jacking means when it has been operated to lift the free end of the connecting portion.

Description

PORTABLE DOOR LOCK

Field of the Invention This invention relates to a portable door lock, for example for temporarily locking an internal door of a building.

Background to the Invention Providing security for rooms in multi-occupied buildings often presents a problem because permanent modification of doors to provide locks is not possible - often such buildings are the subject of short-term lettings. High-value portable items such as computers, mobile telephones and audio devices are at risk of theft from such rooms. Various devices are available to secure doors from the inside of the room - i.e. while the occupant is present - such as a simple wedge under the door. These do not, however, permit the door to be secured when the room is left unattended.

Summary of the Invention

An object of the present invention is to therefore attempt to overcome at least one of the above or other identified disadvantages. It is a further aim to provide a portable door lock that is able to quickly and securely lock a door.

According to the present invention there is provided a portable door lock and a method of using the portable door lock to secure a door as set forth in the appended claims. Other features of the invention will be apparent from the dependent claims, and the description which follows.

The portable door lock comprises a retaining means for engaging a door, a connecting portion slidable beneath the door, a jacking means co-operable with the connecting portion to lift the connecting portion into engagement with the underside of the door and a locking means for selectively preventing the release of the jacking means. For instance, the portable door lock may comprises an elongate member having at one end thereof a wedge portion for engaging the underside of a door and a flat portion freely slidable beneath the door, separable jacking means co-operable with the flat portion to lift the free end of the flat portion, thereby jamming the elongate member under the door to prevent opening thereof, and locking means for selectively preventing release of the jacking means when it has been operated to lift the free end of the flat portion. In the exemplary embodiments, the connecting portion between the retaining means and the jacking means is substantially flat. In the following description of the preferred embodiments of the portable door lock, this substantially flat connecting portion is referred to as the flat portion.

Preferably the retaining means comprises a wedge for engaging the inner bottom edge of the door. In an alternative embodiment, the retaining means may comprise a member raised with respect to the flat portion for engaging with a face of the door. The jacking means may be separable from the flat portion. The jacking means may comprise a screw engagable in a threaded hole passing through the flat portion. The screw may be provided with transverse thumb tabs on the head thereof whereby the screw may be rotated manually The locking means preferably comprises means for selectively preventing rotation of the screw. Preferably the screw may be provided with a head which comprises a locking means. The locking means within the screw head may be a key lock mechanism which selectively engages and disengages the screw head from the screw such that when disengaged the screw head remains attached to the screw. The locking means within the screw head may be a barrel lock.

In an alternative embodiment, the locking means may comprise a hasp hinged to the free end of the flat portion and pivotable into engagement with the screw. In a further alternative embodiment, the locking means may comprise a ratchet and gear rack mechanism. The ratchet and gear rack mechanism may be configured such that once it is tightened it can only be released by breaking the door lock.

Preferably, the door lock further comprises a bridging component locatable over the end of the flat portion of the elongate component and having an upper face provided with the hole through which the screw may pass.

The bridging component may comprise a lower profile that engages with a floor and resists movement of the door lock. The lower profile may comprise a serrated or toothed configuration to enable the door lock to resist movement in use on a carpeted floor, for example. In an alternative embodiment, the lower profile may comprise a rubber foot to enable the door lock to resist movement on a hard floor, for example. The upper face of the bridging component may be provided with an extension over which the hasp passes to engage the screw. The extension and the screw are suitably adapted to receive the shackle of a paddock. Consequently there is provided a portable door lock that is lightweight and readily transportable and permits the securing of almost any door from the outside, without requiring any modification to the door or doorframe.

Brief Description of the Drawings

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portable door lock according to a first aspect;

Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the portable door lock of Figure 1 showing a locking means in an open position; Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the portable door lock of Figure 1 showing a locking means in a closed position;

Figures 4 and 5 are side elevation views of the door lock in use under a door having a minimal gap there under and with a larger gap beneath the door respectively;

Figure 6 is a side elevation view of a second aspect; and

Figure 7 is a side elevation view of a third aspect. Detailed description of the Illustrated Embodiments

According to the exemplary embodiments, there is provided a portable door lock comprising a jacking means and a retaining means, wherein the jacking means and retaining means are interconnected by a connecting portion that is able to slide beneath a door to be locked. Here, the retaining means is able to be arranged to engage the door and the jacking means is adapted to jack one end of the connecting portion. In the exemplary embodiments, the retaining means and connecting portion are suitable integral or otherwise fixed fast to each other. Consequently by using the jacking means to lift one end of the connecting portion up wards, the connecting portion is caused to pivot about a portion of the retaining means that makes contact with a floor and push upwardly against a base of the door. To counteract the force pushing the door upwards, the jacking means and portion of the retaining means in contact with the ground are forced downwards in to the ground. This acts to anchor the jacking means and portion of the retaining means such that, when jacked up beneath a door, the portable door lock can not be slid along the ground due to the downwards force acting through the jacking means and portion of the retaining means in contact with the ground. In the exemplary embodiments, a locking means is provided in order to lock the jacking means to prevent it from lowering the connecting portion. The door is therefore locked as the retaining means prevents opening of the door until the jacking means is lowered and the force anchoring the jacking means and portion of the retaining means into the ground released.

According to one exemplary embodiment, a portable door lock is illustrated by Figures 1 to 3. Here, the connecting portion and retaining means comprises an elongate member 1 of steel plate bent in the vertical plane to form a wedge portion 2 which extends at a small angle to the remaining flat portion 3. Here, the wedge portion forms the retaining means and the flat portion the connecting portion.

Preferably, the portion of the retaining means in contact with the ground may comprise an adjustable foot in order to raise or lower the retaining means to accommodate different sized gaps under the door to be secured as herein described. Although the portion of the retaining means in contact with the ground may be a mid section, for instance the elbow between the connecting means and retaining means, suitably the portion is an end portion. Consequently, as shown in the Figures, the adjustable foot is arranged on the end of the retaining means. Here, the wedge portion 2 includes a short section 4 at the end thereof which extends in a plane parallel to the flat portion 3, and which has a threaded hole passing therethrough, into which is threaded an adjusting screw 5 bearing a detachable rubber-faced foot 6.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figures 1 -3, the locking means suitably comprises a hasp 7 and padlock 15. Further the jacking means comprise a bridging component 8 and screw 12. Here, the free end of the flat portion 3 has a pivotally-mounted hasp 7 in the form of a flat plate with an elongate slot therein (in an alternative configuration, a simple square loop formed of thin steel rod can be employed). A separate bridging component 8 fits over the flat portion, adjacent to the free end thereof. The bridging component 8 consists of an inverted U-shape formed of folded flat steel plate, the free ends of the plate fitting either side of the flat portion 3 being formed into a serrated or toothed configuration to enable the device to resist movement in use. The upper side 8a of the bridging component has a pair of holes 9 and 10 therethrough, one of the holes 10 being provided in an extension 1 1 projecting forward of the bridging component. A screw 12 passes through the first hole 9 and engages in a threaded hole provided through the flat section of the elongate member 1. The head of the screw 12 is a cruciform shape in plan so as to provide transverse thumb tabs by which the screw may be turned without the use of tools, each tab having therethrough a hole 13 corresponding in size and spacing from the centre of the screw 12 with the hole 10, so that a shackle 14 of the padlock 15 may be passed through the hole 10 and aligned with one of the holes 13 to prevent rotation of the screw. The padlock 15 is fitted after the hasp 7 is raised to the vertical position passing over the extension 1 1 and the tab.

The fitting of the portable door lock to secure a door will now be described with particular reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 illustrates the use of the lock with a door having limited clearance beneath it (typically just greater than the thickness of the elongate member 1 , for example 4mm). Firstly, with the adjusting screw 5 raised as far as possible, to bring the foot 6 into contact with the underside of the section 4, and with the hasp 7 lowered into the same plane as the flat portion 3, the hasp and the flat portion are pushed under the door 16 from the inside of the room so as to project to the outside. This is done while the door is open, and therefore it is necessary to hold onto the hasp 7 as the door is closed by the person leaving the room, so as to ensure that it can be pulled from the outside to bring the wedge portion 2 into engagement with the inner bottom edge of the door. The bridging component 8 is then located over the flat portion 3 and the screw 12 is inserted through it and into engagement with the threaded hole in the flat portion. The screw 12 is rotated so that it projects from the underside of the flat portion to engage the surface beneath, in this case a carpet 17. The teeth on the bridging component engage in the carpet 17 to hold the lock in position as the screw is rotated. It is important that the flat section 3 is substantially horizontal at the start of this operation. Engagement of the screw 12 with the floor surface tends to raise the flat section into the firm engagement with the underside of the door. The screw is positioned so that one of the thumb tabs aligns with the projection 1 1 , and the hasp 7 is then pivoted upwardly to enclose the tab and the projection 1 1 , as shown in Figure 4. A padlock can then be engaged with the aligned holes as hereinbefore described. The door is firmly locked, and cannot be opened from either side (it will be appreciated that it is very important that the lock should be applied only when all the occupants of the room has left if through the door 16).

Figure 5 shows the use when there is a significantly larger gap under the door. In this case, the adjusting screw 5 is screwed down so that the foot is spaced below the portion 4 by a distance such that the flat portion 3 can extend under the door horizontally while just touching the underside of the door. The screw 12 then has to be rotated further to lift the flat portion 3 relative to the bridging portion until the flat portion firmly engages the underside of the door to prevent its being moved. It will be appreciated that the lock can be used as a simple wedge to hold a door closed from the inside, by omitting the bridging component 8 and the screw 12, and simply pushing the flat portion 3 and hasp 7 under the door until the wedge portion 2 engages the door, and then rotating the adjusting screw 5 by a few turns to wedge the door firmly. Alternatively, the screw 5 may be removed, and the elongate member 1 inverted, a rubber pad 20 provided on the upper surface of the portion 4 then engaging the ground such that the wedge portion 2 is engaged with the inner bottom edge of the door. The bridging component and screw 12 may then be re-attached to the elongate member through hole 9 and tightened to hold the device against movement.

Where the lock is to be used regularly with a stone or other hard floor, where the teeth projecting from the bridging component will not be able to grip into the surface, a bridging component with a flat lower face may be provided. The flat lower face of the bridging component may comprise a rubber pad to engage the hard floor. Alternatively, the lock may be adapted by the provision of a third hole through the upper side 8a of the bridging component on the opposite side of the hole 9 from the projection 1 1 , and by passing through he third hole a fixing pin 21 (Figure 5) having a flat plate 21a as a head, the flat plate resting against the upper side 8a and being retained beneath the tabs of the screw 12 to prevent its removal when the padlock has been positioned. The pin projects through another, unthreaded, hole through the flat portion 3 and into an aligned bore 22 drilled in the floor. An alternative to this arrangement for such floors, where a hole cannot be drilled, might be the provision of a removable rubber-faced foot for the end of the screw 12. The flat plate 21a projects beyond the side of the bridging component 8 and this projection may be provided with a small hole therethrough for attachment of one end of a short chain (not shown), the other end of the which is secured to a hole in the side of the bridging component. The chain thus serves to keep the pin 21 ready for use.

Figure 6 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a portable door lock wherein the locking means comprises a screw 30 and bridging member 8, wherein, as described above, the screw 30 cooperates with a threaded hole in the connecting portion and / or bridging portion, so that, when the screw is rotated, the connecting portion is raised and lowered. However, instead a clasp and padlock, the screw has a screw head 31 that includes a locking means to selectively prevent the rotation of the screw 30. For instance a barrel lock or other known lock.

Figure 7 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a portable door lock comprising a retaining means, a jacking means, a connecting portion, and a lock. Here the connecting portion comprises an elongate member 40 and the retaining means comprises a raised part 43 that extends from the connecting portion at an elbow. Suitably, the raised portion extends substantially perpendicularly. The raised portion 43 acting as a stop to prevent movement of the door when the portable door lock is anchored in use.

In the exemplary embodiment of Figure7, the jacking means comprises an anchor part 41 and an actuation means for moving the anchor part between a raised and lowered position. Here, the actuation means is suitably shown as a lever 42. As shown, as well as the raised part 43 on one end of a flat portion 44, the elongate member 40 also includes on the opposite end of the flat portion 44, a housing 45 for the anchor part 41 , wherein the housing restricts the movement of the anchor, and a coupling means 46 for the lever 42, wherein the coupling means 46 enables the lever to pivot. Here, the lever comprises a protruding part 49 for engaging with the anchor. In use, the embodiment of the portable door lock shown in Figure 7 is positioned underneath an open door by sliding it from the short edge of the door. The door is then closed and the door lock pulled to engage the raised part 43 with the face of the door. The lever 42 is then engaged with the jacking means 41 through part 49 which forms a pivot between the end of the lever 42 operated by the user and the end coupled to elongate member 40 through coupling means 46. Force on the lever in the direction of the floor acts through the pivot to raise the elongate member with respect to the floor and the jacking means. The elongate member 40 can be raised until the flat portion 44 is tightly engaged with the underside of the door and the jacking means 41 is tightly engaged with the floor.

Any suitable lock may be used to prevent the lever from lifting. However, in the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 7, the anchor is arranged to moveable in one direction only. That is, the housing and anchor include cooperating means to prevent the anchor from moving upwards. For instance, suitably the housing includes a ratchet 47 and the anchor part 41 includes a gear rack 48 for cooperating with a ratchet 47. Consequently, the ratchet 47 and the gear rack 48 allow only upwards movement of the elongate member 40 with respect to the floor and the jacking means. Therefore the embodiment of the portable door lock shown in Figure 7 has to be broken in order to disengage it from the door. This is particularly suitable where, for instance, a room needs to be locked permanently and without leaving positive signs of re-entry. For instance, emergency personnel may need to lock a door when working through a building to be cleared.

Although preferred embodiment(s) of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A portable door lock comprising a retaining means for engaging a door, a connecting portion slidable beneath the door, a jacking means co-operable with the connecting portion to lift the connecting portion into engagement with the underside of the door and a locking means for preventing the release of the jacking means.

2. A portable door lock according to claim 1 , wherein the retaining means is a wedge for engaging the inner bottom edge of the door.

3. A portable door lock according to claim 1 , wherein the jacking means is separable from the flat portion.

4. A portable door lock according to any preceding claim, wherein the jacking means comprises a bridging component that engages with a floor and resists movement of the door lock.

5. A portable door lock according to any preceding claim, wherein the jacking means comprises a screw engageable in a threaded hole passing through the connecting portion.

6. A portable door lock according to claim 5, wherein the locking means comprises means for selectively preventing rotation of the screw.

7. A portable door lock according to claim 6, wherein the means for preventing the rotation of the screw comprises a screw head comprising a locking means.

8. A portable door lock according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the screw is provided with transverse thumb tabs on the head thereof whereby the screw may be rotated manually.

9. A portable door lock according to claim 6 or 8, wherein the locking means comprises a hasp hinged to the free end of the connecting portion and pivotable into engagement with the screw.

10. A portable door lock according to claim 9, further comprising a bridging component locatable over the end of the connecting portion and having an upper face provided with a hole through which the screw may pass, the upper face being provided with an extension over which the hasp passes to engage the screw.

1 1. A portable door lock according to claim 10, wherein the extension and the screw are adapted to receive the shackle of a padlock.

12. A portable door lock according to any preceding claim, wherein the retaining means comprises an adjustable foot that may be used to adjust the height of the connecting portion relative to the floor.

13. A method of locking a door using the portable door lock of any preceding claim, the method comprising the steps of:

sliding the portable door lock underneath the door so that the retaining means engages with the door;

closing the door;

using the jacking means to raise one end of the connecting portion in order to secure the portable door lock ; and

using the locking means to lock the jacking means to prevent unauthorised entry..