EP2877660B1

EP2877660B1 - High-versatility lock

Info

Publication number: EP2877660B1
Application number: EP12756831.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Claudio BALLANTI; Fausto Fustini
Original assignee: CISA SpA
Current assignee: CISA SpA
Priority date: 2012-07-24
Filing date: 2012-07-24
Publication date: 2019-02-06
Anticipated expiration: 2032-07-24
Also published as: EP2877660A1; ES2724226T3; WO2014016854A1

Description

The present invention relates to a high-versatility lock.
Locks are constituted generally by a boxlike body which contains a plurality of mechanisms actuated by a cylinder and/or by a handle in order to move a bolt and a latch.
The wing (the door, for example) on which the lock is installed can thus be opened only by operating the cylinder and/or the handle: if the bolts are extracted, it is necessary to retract them (by means of the rotation of the key in the cylinder or, in particular technical solutions, with a specific movement of the handle) and in any case it is necessary to act specifically for the retraction of the latch (specific rotation of the key in the cylinder and/or rotation of the handle). If the latch does not retract into the housing of the boxlike body of the lock (therefore protruding from the respective opening provided in the selvage of the jamb), the wing cannot be opened.
Applications are widespread in which there is the need to allow the door to open simply as a consequence of pushing (in the opening direction) without having to operate in any way the handle and/or the cylinder by means of the key.
In this case, locks are used which have a component known as a roller instead of the latch (more correctly, roller closure element).
The roller is merely a block which is provided with at least one rotatable end element (the actual roller), which is kept elastically protruding from the housing of the lock: the elastic action keeps it constantly in the extracted configuration, in engagement within the respective salvage, when the wing is arranged in the closure configuration.
The user who intends to open the wing merely has to push or pull the wing in the opening direction: the roller, thanks to the rotation of the at least one rotatable end element, protrudes from the selvage following a partial retraction thereof (in contrast to respective elastic means which force it into a fully extracted configuration) within the boxlike body of the lock (in contrast to the elastic means) and allows opening the wing.
Of course,'the elastic means associated with the roller must ensure a particularly forceful mechanical action (pushing of the roller in the extracted configuration with respect to the boxlike body), since the roller must prevent occasional opening of the wing caused for example by the action of the wind.
A high-versatility lock according to the preamble of claim 1 is disclosed in WO 2012/011134 A1 .
The aim of the present invention is to solve the problems described above, proposing a high-versatility lock that ensures high versatility in installation and use and is therefore suitable both for use with a latch and for use with a roller.
Within the scope of this aim, an object of the invention is to propose a high-versatility lock that is adapted to ensure a high level of security.
Another object of the invention is to propose a high-versatility lock that can undergo configuration changes when it is already in the installed configuration on a respective wing.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a high-versatility lock that has a low cost, is relatively simple to provide in practice and safe in application.
This aim, as well as these and other objects that will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a high-versatility lock of the type comprising a boxlike body adapted for functional accommodation of an actuation element, which can be operated by a respective key and is connected, by means of appropriate mechanisms, to at least one bolt, at least one component of the type of a latch, a roller closure element and the like, also controlled by respective movement means, and optionally at least one guiding element, which is intended to actuate at least one peripheral assembly, characterized in that said at least one component of the type of a latch, a roller closure element and the like is connected slidingly to said boxlike body by means of a tubular shaft that can perform a translational motion due to the action of said movement means, said tubular shaft comprising removable coupling means for said at least one component of the type of a latch, a roller closure element and the like, said tubular shaft comprising a respective plug for closing one of its ends which can be coupled, according to a plurality of different configurations, within its internal cavity, between said tubular shaft and said boxlike body elastic means being provided for forcing said tubular shaft and said at least one component of the type of a latch, a roller closure element and the like in a configuration that is extracted/protruding from said boxlike body, wherein the end front of said closure plug, which can be accessed from the outside when the lock is installed through the through hole of said component of the type of a latch, a roller closure element and the like, comprises shaped portions for the engagement of respective tools intended for the rotation of said plug within said shaft for assembly/disassembly and adjustment operations.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the high-versatility lock according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a possible constructive solution of a high-versatility lock according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a schematic side view of another constructive solution of a high-versatility lock according to the invention.

With reference to the figures, the numeral 1 generally designates a high-versatility lock.
The lock 1 comprises a boxlike body 2, which is suitable for the functional accommodation of an actuation element, which can be actuated by a respective key and is connected, by means of adapted mechanisms, to at least one bolt 3, at least one component of the type of a latch 4, a roller closure element 5 and the like, also controlled by respective movement means; and optionally at least one transmission element 6, which is intended to actuate at least one peripheral assembly (not shown in the accompanying figures).
The at least one component of the type of a latch 4, a roller closure element 5 and the like is connected slidingly to the boxlike body 2 by means of a tubular shaft 7, which can perform a translational motion by means of the action of the movement means cited earlier.
The tubular shaft 7 comprises removable coupling means for the at least one component of the type of a latch 4, a roller closure element 5 and the like.
The tubular shaft 7 furthermore comprises a respective plug 8 for closing one of its ends which can be coupled, according to a plurality of different configurations, within its internal cavity.
Elastic means are provided between the tubular shaft 7 and the boxlike body 2 in order to force the tubular shaft 7 and the at least one component of the type of a latch 4, a roller closure element 5 and the like in the configuration that is extracted/protruding from the boxlike body 2.
It is specified that, in relation to a possible application of the present invention in which the component that protrudes from the boxlike body 2 is of the type of a latch 4 first elastic means 9 are arranged advantageously between the tubular shaft 7 and the boxlike body 2 to force the tubular shaft 7 and the at least one component of the type of a latch 4 in the configuration that is extracted/protruding from the boxlike body 2.
The elastic action generated by the elastic means 9 and intended to keep the latch 4 extracted is proportionate to the technical requirements of this component, so as to allow simple and secure closure of the installation wing of the lock 1 and consequent convenient reopening thereof (by means of the actuation of the retraction of the latch 4 performed by means of an action applied to a key or to a handle by a user).
Moreover, it is specified that in relation to an application of the present invention which is alternative to the one described earlier, in which the component that protrudes from the boxlike body 2 is of the type of a roller closure element 5, between the tubular shaft 7 and the boxlike body 2 second elastic means 10 are provided for forcing the tubular shaft 7 and the at least one component of the type of a roller closure element 5 into a configuration that is extracted/protruding from the boxlike body 2.
The elastic action generated by the elastic means 10 and intended to keep the roller closure element 5 extracted is proportionate to the technical requirements of this component, so as to allow simple and secure closure of the installation leaf of the lock 1 and a consequent convenient reopening thereof (both of which can be obtained by applying pressure to the wing in the direction for opening and/or closing it).
It is appropriate to point out, in relation to the constructive solutions described above, that the first elastic means 9 have an elastic reaction whose value is lower than the elastic reaction of the second elastic means 10: the closure of the wing, when a latch 4 is used, is in fact achieved by interference thereof with the selvage of the jamb (therefore a high elastic forcing action is not necessary, since the latch 4 engages stably in the selvage); when instead a roller closure element 5 is used, closure is entrusted exclusively to the elastic forcing of the end of the roller closure element 5 in a respective seat of the jamb and therefore a forceful action is required in order to ensure the stability of the closure configuration.
In another constructive solution, third elastic means 11 are designed to be mated with the first elastic means 9 in alignment with them, within the tubular shaft 7, to increase the overall elastic reaction.
This pairing of the first elastic means 9 with the third elastic means 11 is convenient in case of removal of the latch 4 and replacement thereof with a corresponding roller closure element 5.
The pairing of the elastic means 9 and 11 in fact allows increasing the overall elastic action to a value that corresponds to the one required for the correct operation of the roller closure element 5.
It is necessary to point out that according to an example of application of unquestionable interest in practice and in execution, the elastic means 9, 10 and optionally 11 for forcing the tubular shaft 7 and the at least one component of the type of a latch 4 into the configuration that is extracted/protruding from the boxlike body, a roller closure element 5 and the like are inserted within the longitudinal cavity of the tubular shaft 7, resting against an end face of the closure plug 8 and against a wall of the boxlike body 2 (on the opposite front).
The configuration of the closure plug 8 within the tubular shaft 7 is adapted to produce the preloading of the elastic means 9, 10 and optionally 11: the further the closure plug 8 is inserted within the cavity of the shaft 7, the more the elastic means 9, 10 and optionally 11 are compressed.
It is specified that the elastic means 9, 10 and optionally 11 are constituted preferably by axially-acting springs with specific mechanical characteristics.
In order to identify a constructive example of specific interest in application, it is clarified that the tubular shaft 7 can comprise, in its internal cavity, a thread for the engagement of the threaded external surface of the closure plug 8: the insertion of the plug 8 within the cavity of the tubular shaft 7 according to a plurality of different configurations is therefore dependent on the screwing/unscrewing of said plug 8 in the thread.
By screwing the plug 8, it enters progressively the internal cavity of the shaft 7, with consequent compression of the elastic means 9, 10 and optionally 11 arranged downstream of the plug 8.
In order to allow maximum versatility of the present invention and its possible application in all the standards provided for wings where the lock 1 is to be installed, it is appropriate to note that it can comprise a series of closure plugs 8 of different length, which can engage alternately within the tubular shaft 7 for additional variations of the preloading of the elastic means 9, 10 and optionally 11.
More specifically, the closure plugs 8 can be threaded grubs of different lengths which are mutually interchangeable according to the requirements of application.
According to a constructive solution intended to increase the versatility of the lock 1 according to the invention, making it suitable for all the standards of wings in which it can be installed (as well as suitable for installation on non-standard leaves, therefore on customized articles), the tubular shaft 7 effectively comprises two coaxial sleeves 12 and 13 which can be mutually coupled according to a plurality of different arrangements, so as to determine a variability of the overall length of the shaft 7.
From a constructive point of view, it is specified that the mutually mated ends of the sleeves 12 and 13 comprise respective complementary threads to form a stable mutual coupling according to different configurations having a different overall length; the overall length variations, and therefore the mutual configuration variations of the two sleeves 12 and 13, depend on the mutual screwing/unscrewing of the sleeves 12 and 13.
It is believed that it is important to point out that the component of the type of a latch 4, a roller closure element 5 and the like comprises a through hole 14 which is parallel to the direction of translation thereof during operation.
The hole 14 is threaded internally for engagement of the end, which is also likewise threaded, of the tubular shaft 7.
In order to allow easy adjustment and interchangeability of the latch 4 and the roller closure element 5, the head of the end of the tubular shaft 7, which can be accessed from the outside when the lock 1 is assembled through the through hole 14 of the component of the type of a latch 4, a roller closure element 5 comprises coupling portions for respective tools designed for the rotation of the shaft 7 so as to allow easy assembly/disassembly and adjustment operations (these operations can be performed easily when the lock 1 is installed correctly in the respective wing, and this simplifies considerably any operation for maintenance, setting and/or modification of the lock 1).
Likewise, the end front of the closure plug 8, which can be accessed from the outside when the lock 1 is installed through the through hole 14 of the component of the type of a latch 4, a roller closure element 5 and the like, comprises shaped portions for the engagement of respective tools designed for the rotation of the plug 8 within the shaft 7 for assembly/disassembly and adjustment operations.
Efficiently, the present invention solves the problems described earlier, proposing a high-versatility lock 1 that ensures high versatility in use and installation and is therefore suitable for use with the latch 4 and for use with the roller closure element 5.
Usefully, the lock 1 is suitable for ensuring a high level of security: this occurs due to the fact that the specific components required to allow modifications and adjustments do not interfere with the other security components (such as the movement mechanisms, the cylinder with key and the handle) and therefore do not compromise their performance in any way.
Advantageously, the lock 1 can undergo modifications in its configuration when it is already in the configuration for installation on a respective wing in relation to the presence of the holes 14.
It should in fact be noted that the head of the end of the tubular shaft 7, which can be accessed from the outside when the lock 1 is installed through the through hole 14 of the component of the type of a latch 4, a roller closure element 5, comprises coupling portions for respective tools intended to rotate the shaft 7 for the operations for assembly/disassembly and adjustment of the latch 4 and the roller closure element 5, and that the end front of the closure plug 8, which can be accessed from the outside when the lock 1 is installed through the through hole 14 of the component of the type of a latch 4, a roller closure element 5 and the like, comprises shaped portions for the engagement of respective tools intended for the rotation of the plug 8 within the shaft 7 for operations for the assembly/disassembly and adjustment of the plugs 8.
Positively, the lock 1 is low-cost and is also relatively simple to provide in practice and safe in application.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the accompanying claims; moreover, all the details may be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
In the examples of embodiment shown, individual characteristics, given in relation to specific examples, may actually be interchanged with other different characteristics that exist in other examples of embodiment.
In practice, the materials used, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and the state of the art.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

A high-versatility lock (1) of the type comprising a boxlike body (2) adapted for functional accommodation of an actuation element, which can be operated by a respective key and is connected, by means of appropriate mechanisms, to at least one bolt (3), at least one component of the type of a latch (4), a roller closure element (5) and the like, also controlled by respective movement means, and optionally at least one guiding element (6), which is intended to actuate at least one peripheral assembly,said at least one component of the type of a latch (4), a roller closure element (5) and the like is connected slidingly to said boxlike body (2) by means of a tubular shaft (7) that can perform a translational motion due to the action of said movement means, said tubular shaft (7) comprising removable coupling means for said at least one component of the type of a latch (4), a roller closure element (5) and the like, said tubular shaft (7) comprising a respective plug (8) for closing one of its ends which can be coupled, according to a plurality of different configurations, within its internal cavity, between said tubular shaft (7) and said boxlike body (2) elastic means being provided for forcing said tubular shaft (7) and said at least one component of the type of a latch (4), a roller closure element (5) and the like in a configuration that is extracted/protruding from said boxlike body (2), characterized in that the end front of said closure plug (8), which can be accessed from the outside when the lock (1) is installed through the through hole (14) of said component of the type of a latch (4), a roller closure element (5) and the like, comprises shaped portions for the engagement of respective tools intended for the rotation of said plug (8) within said shaft (7) for assembly/disassembly and adjustment operations.
The lock according to claim 1, characterized in that first elastic means (9) are arranged between said tubular shaft (7) and said boxlike body (2) to force said tubular shaft (7) and said at least one component of the type of a latch (4) in the configuration that is extracted/protruding with respect to said boxlike body (2).
The lock according to claim 1, characterized in that second elastic means (10) are arranged between said tubular shaft (7) and said boxlike body (2) so as to force said tubular shaft (7) and said at least one component of the type of a roller closure element (5) into the configuration that is extracted/protruding from said boxlike body (2).
The lock according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that said first elastic means (9) have an elastic reaction whose value is lower than the elastic reaction of said second elastic means (10).
The lock according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that third elastic means (11) are intended to be mated with said first elastic means (9) in alignment with them, within said tubular shaft (7), so as to increase the overall elastic reaction, in case of removal of said latch (4) and replacement thereof with a corresponding roller closure element (5).
The lock according to claim 1, characterized in that said elastic means (9, 10, 11) for forcing said tubular shaft (7) and said at least one component of the type of a latch (4) into the configuration that is extracted/protruding with respect to said boxlike body, a roller closure element (5) and the like are inserted within the longitudinal cavity of said tubular shaft (7), resting against an end face of said closure plug (8) and against a wall of said boxlike body (2), the configuration of said closure plug (8) within said tubular shaft (7) determining the preloading of said elastic means (9, 10, 11).
The lock according to claim 6, characterized in that said tubular shaft (7) comprises, in its internal cavity, a thread for the engagement of the threaded outer surface of said closure plug (8), the insertion of said plug (8) within said cavity of said tubular shaft (7) according to a plurality of different configurations being dependent on the screwing/unscrewing of said plug (8) in said thread.
The lock according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a series of closure plugs (8) of different lengths, which can engage alternately within said tubular shaft (7) for additional variations of the preloading of said elastic means (9, 10, 11).
The lock according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said tubular shaft (7) comprises two coaxial sleeves (12, 13), which can be mutually coupled according to a plurality of different arrangements, so as to determine a variability of the overall length of said shaft (7).
The lock according to claim 9, characterized in that the mutually coupled ends of said sleeves (12, 13) comprise respective complementary threads for mutual stable coupling according to different configurations of different overall length, the overall length variations, and therefore the variations in the mutual configuration of said two sleeves (12, 13), being dependent on the mutual screwing/unscrewing of said sleeves (12, 13).
The lock according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said component of the type of the latch (4), a roller closure element (5) and the like comprises a through hole (14) which is parallel to the direction of translational motion thereof during operation, said hole (14) being threaded internally for the engagement of the end, which is likewise threaded, of said tubular shaft (7).
The lock according to claim 11, characterized in that the head of the end of said tubular shaft (7), which can be accessed from the outside when the lock (1) is installed through the through hole (14) of said component of the type of a latch (4), a roller closure element (5) and the like, comprises coupling portions for respective tools designed for the rotation of said shaft (7) for operations for assembly/disassembly and adjustment, when said lock (1) is mounted correctly on the respective wing.