GB2172046A

GB2172046A - Locking arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2172046A
Application number: GB08505932A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven Philip Faulkner
Original assignee: ANGLIA LOCKSMITHS AND SAFE ENG
Current assignee: ANGLIA LOCKSMITHS AND SAFE ENG
Priority date: 1985-03-07
Filing date: 1985-03-07
Publication date: 1986-09-10
Also published as: GB8505932D0

Abstract

A locking arrangement comprises a lock member having a locking bolt 30, and a striker assembly 28 comprising a housing 32 having an aperture 36 to receive the bolt. A striker member 40 rotatably mounted within the housing has an abutment portion 48 such that upon insertion of the bolt 30 into the housing the bolt 30 engages the abutment portion 48 and turns the striker member 40 from a first position to a second position. The housing also contains a latch member 52 arranged to latch the striker member 40 in the second position automatically upon rotation of the striker member to the second position. The striker member further has a locking portion 49 to engage the bolt 30 when the striker member 40 is in the second position to prevent withdrawal of the bolt from the housing, and the striker assembly further includes means to permit authorised release of the latch member to permit the striker member to be turned to the first position and to permit withdrawal of the bolt from the housing. In one embodiment the locking arrangement is for locking a commercial vehicle roller shutter. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Locks This invention relates to a locking arrangement particularly, but not exclusively, for locking a commercial vehicle rolling shutter.

According to the invention, there is provided a locking arrangement comprising a lock member having a locking bolt; and a striker assembly comprising a housing having an aperture to receive the bolt; and a striker member rotatably mounted within the housing and having an abutment portion such that upon insertion of the bolt into the housing the bolt engages the abutment portion and turns the striker member from a first position to a second position, the housing further containing a latch member arranged to latch the striker member in the second position automatically upon rotation of the striker member to the second position, the striker member further having a locking portion to engage the bolt when the striker member is in the second position to prevent withdrawal of the bolt from the housing, and the striker assembly further including means to permit authorised means to permit authorised release of the latch member to permit the striker member to be turned to the first position and to permit withdrawal of the bolt from the housing.

There follows a description, by way of example, of a specific embodiment of the present invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a rear view of a lorry having a known locking arrangement for a rolling shutter; Figure 2 is a rear view of a lorry having a locking arrangement according to the present invention; and Figure 3 is a perspective view looking to the rear of part of the locking arrangement of Fig. 2 when demounted from the shutter.

Referring to Fig. 1, a lorry 10 has a rear rolling shutter 12 which can be raised and lowered to open and close the goods carrying space of the lorry. In order to lock the shutter 12 in the closed position the lower slat 14 of the shutter is fitted with a pivoting locking lever 16. One arm 18 of the lever can be engaged beneath a pin 20 projecting from the tailboard 22 of the lorry, and the other arm 24 can be padlocked to an eyelet 26 to hold the lever 16 in the locked position.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 1 is commonly used and suffers from a disadvantage.

In the case of a delivery lorry, the driver can sometimes not be bothered to lock and unlock the shutter at every stop and leaves it unlocked, and thus theft is a problem.

The present invention provides a self-locking arrangement which can be used simply to convert the known arrangement to provide a far more satisfactory locking system.

Referring to Fig. 2, the eyelet 26 is simply replaced by a striker assembly 28, and the end 30 the arm 24 is used as the bolt for the striker assembly.

Referring to Fig. 3, the striker assembly comprises a housing 32 having an open side which is closed when the housing is riveted by holes 34 to the lower slat 14 of the rolling shutter.

A cut-away 36 is provided in the upper side 38 of the housing to receive the bolt 30 of the locking lever 24 when the bolt 30 is moved generally vertically downwardly. A striker member 40 is mounted within the housing on a pivot 42 which projects within the housing from the rear face 44 of the housing. Adjacent the path of the bolt 30 upon insertion into the housing a bite 46 is taken out of the striker member 40 to form an abutment lip 48 and a locking nose 49. On the opposite side of the striker member 40 a notch 50 is formed to receive a latch member 52, which is spring-loaded by a spring 54 into engagement with the striker member 40 and which is mounted on a lock assembly 55. A key can be inserted into an exteriorly accessible key-hole 56 (see Fig. 2) of the lock assembly and turned to pivot the latch member 52 out of engagement with the striker member 40.

In operation, after the shutter 14 has been closed, the locking lever 16 is turned to engage the pin 20 and the bolt 30 is inserted in the striker assembly. The lower end of the bolt 30 engages the abutment lip 48 and forces the striker member 40 to rotate clockwise (as viewed in Fig. 3). The locking nose 49 thus enters a hole 58 in the bolt.

Furthermore, the latch member engages the notch 50 and thus locks the striker member 40, which accordingly, by means of engagement of the nose 49 in the hole 58 of the bolt 30, locks the bolt in the striker assembly.

The latch member 42 is disposed on the opposite side of the housing to the cut-away 36 to prevent the latch being released by insertion of a tool through the cut-away 36.

In order to release the lock, the appropriate key is inserted into the keyhole 56 of the lock assembly 55 and is turned against the spring 54 to release the latch member 52 from the notch 50 in the striker member 40. The striker member 40 is then free to rotate anticlockwise (as seen in Fig. 3) and the bolt 30 can be withdrawn.

The pivot 42 for the striker member 40 is offset from the centre of gravity of the striker member 40 so that the striker member tends to rotate anticlockwise (as seen in Fig. 3).

Thus, if the striker member is inadvertently moved to the latched position without the bolt 30 being inserted, the striker member will, under its own weight, pivot anticlockwise once the latch member is released.

Claims

1. A locking arrangement comprising a lock member having a locking bolt; and a striker assembly comprising a housing having an aperture to receive the bolt; and a striker member rotatably mounted within the housing and having an abutment portion such that upon insertion of the bolt into the housing the bolt engages the abutment portion and turns the striker member from a first position to a second position, the housing further containing a latch member arranged to latch the striker member in the second position automatically upon rotation of the striker member to the second position, the striker member further having a locking portion to engage the bolt when the striker member is in the second po sition to prevent withdrawal of the bolt from the housing, and the striker assembly further including means to permit authorised release of the latch member to permit the striker member to be turned to first position and to permit withdrawal of the bolt from the hous ing.

2. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the abutment portion and the locking portion are provided to one side of the striker member and the latch member engages to the other side of the striker member, the striker member being pivotally mounted between those two sides of the striker member.

3. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the bolt is arranged to be inserted into the housing generally tangentially to the striker member.

4. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, wherein the pivotal mounting of the striker member is offset from the centre of gravity of the striker member such that the striker member is gravity-biassed towards said first position.

5. An arrangement as claimed in any pre ceding claim, wherein the striker member has a peripheral slot engageable by the latch member to lock the striker member in said second postion.

6. An arrangement as claimed in any pre ceding claim, wherein the bolt is formed with a hole and the locking portion of the striker member is formed as a nose engageable in the hole.

7. A vehicle rolling shutter provided with a locking arrangement as claimed in any preced ing claim.

8. A vehicle having a rolling shutter as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the housing is mounted on the shutter, the bolt being pro vided at one end of a lever, the other end of which is engageable with an abutment on the vehicle when the shutter is closed.