GB2174450A

GB2174450A - Locking mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2174450A
Application number: GB08511210A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Thomas John Succamore
Original assignee: Norcros Investments Ltd
Current assignee: Norcros Investments Ltd
Priority date: 1985-05-02
Filing date: 1985-05-02
Publication date: 1986-11-05
Also published as: GB8511210D0; GB2174450B

Abstract

A multi point door locking mechanism particularly suitable for a patio door comprises a pin bar (6) which is slidably movable by means of a locking device. The bar (6) is mounted to one panel (2) of the door and a cooperating keep plate (22) with a keyhole-shaped slot is mounted on the facing edge of the other panel (4) of the door. A leaf spring (10) is mounted to the door panel (2) and has a cooperating portion (16) which engages with the edge of the keep plate (6) and therefore prevents operation of the locking device when the door panels are open. When the panels are closed together the keep plate (22) engages with a curved portion (14) of the leaf spring (10) to rotate its cooperating portion (16) out of engagement with the pin bar (6) therefor permitting operation of the locking device. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Locking mechanism The present invention relates to locking mechanisms suitable for use with windows and doors, particularly sliding patio doors. The mechanism of the invention more particularly, relates to improvements in multi-point locking mechanisms designed to prevent an associated locking device being operated when the door is open.

There are several types of multi point locking mechanisms presently on the market which comprise at least one headed pin mounted on a slidable pin bar. One or more pin bars may be mounted on the periphery of an openable door or window. A corresponding number of keep plates with keyholeshaped holes are mounted on the door or window frame or in the case of a patio door with three or four sliding panels on the cooperating edge of an adjacent panel of the door.

In normal operation the door or window is closed when the pins are in such a position that they enter the wider portions of the associated keyhole-shaped slot. The mechanism may then be locked by operating a locking device which slides the pin bars so that the shanks of the pins enter the narrower portions of the keyhole-shaped slots so that the pins are retained in the slots by the engagement of their heads against the keep plate. Such types of multipoint locking mechanism are well known and will not be described in more detail.

In another type of multipoint locking mechanism more suitable for use with pivotal doors and windows the keep plate has a channel shaped recess sized so that the head of the pin can be retained in the channel. When the door or window is brought into the closed position the pins are located outside the recess and the pin bar is slid into the recess for locking. Such a mechanism is described in British Application No. 84.27626 (GB-A2 If the locking device of such a mechanism is operated with the door or window open and the door or window is then closed the heads of the pins impinge on the keep plates in the region of the narrower portions of the keyhole-shaped slots, or in the region of the channel shaped recess depending on the design of the keep plate. This can cause damage to the locking mechanism particularly if the door or window has been slammed.

It is therefore desirable to prevent the operation of the locking device with the door or window in an open position.

The present invention accordingly provides a multi point locking mechanism for a door or window comprising a pin bar carrying at least one headed pin, and a keep plate, means for sliding the keep plate or the pin bar relative to the other between a locked condition and an unlocked condition, said keep plate having means for retaining the or each headed pin when the pin bar is slid into a locked condition and being positioned such that when the pin bar is in an unlocked condition there is no interference btween the or each pin and the keep plate, and means co-operating with the slidable one of the keep plate and the pin bar to prevent it being moved into a locked condition when and only when the door or window is open.

Preferably the locking preventing means comprises at least one leaf spring, each spring having a portion cooperating with an edge of the slidable one of the keep plate and the pin bar when the door or window is open and which can be moved out of engagement with the pin bar or keep plate when the door or window is closed. In an embodiment wherein the door or window slides between its open and closed positions, the leaf spring further comprises a portion projecting outwardly at least to the same extent as the head of the or each pin so that as the door or window is closed the pin bar or keep plate engages said projection to brake the motion of the window or door.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section on the line I-I of Figure 2 through a portion of a locking mechanism in an unlocked condition on one panel of a sliding door; Fig. 2- is a plan view of the panel of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view similar to Figure 2 showing the two panels of the door in a closed position; and Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 3.

The illustrated embodiment shows the use of a multi point locking mechanism on a sliding patio door having two panels 2,4 which may slide towards each other into engagement in their closed position. It will be appreciated, however, that the locking mechanism to be described is equally applicable where either the pin bar or keep plate is mounted on a pivotal or sliding window or door which engages against a fixed frame.

The locking mechanism comprises a pin bar 6 mounted to the edge of the panel 2. The pin bar 6 carries a headed pin 8. The pin bar 6 is slidably mounted to the panel 2 and its movement is controlled by a locking device (not shown) such as a pivoted handle. It will be appreciated that the locking device may control the motion of several pin bars and the pin bars may each carry any appropriate number of pins.

A leaf spring 10 is mounted by fastening means such as a screw 12 or a rivet to a side edge of the panel 2. The leaf spring 10 includes an outwardly projecting curved portion 14 and a transverse portion 16 which engages against and cooperates with the edge of the pin bar 6. A bent remote end portion 18 of the leaf spring 10 passes through an elongate hole 20 in the side edge of the panel 2 and engages against the inside edge of the hole to prevent the leaf spring moving further to the left than its position as shown in Figure 1. It will be appreciated that several leaf springs 10 may be provided to engage against each of the pin bars 6.

As shown in Figure 4 the curved portion 14 of the leaf spring 10 engages with keep plate 22 or side edge of the other panel 4 of the door when the panels 2,4 are brought together in a closed position. This causes the leaf spring 10 to be pivoted about its screw mounting in an anti-clockwise sense as shown in Figures 1 and 4 of the drawings. The hole 20 in the side edge of panel 2 of the door is sized so as to allow part of the leaf spring 10 to pass through when the spring is rotated by engagement with the keep plate on the other panel of the door.Once the portion 16 of the spring is pivoted out of engagement with the pin bar 6 by the effect of closing the panels of the door together, it is possible to operate the locking device and slide the pin bar 6 upwardly into the position shown in Figure 4, so that the head of the pin 8 is engaged with the keep plate 22 in its locked condition.

If an attempt is made to operate the locking device when the panels 2 and 4 of the door are in the open position, as shown in Figure 1, the engagement of the cooperating portion 16 of the leaf spring with the edge of the pin bar 6 will prevent the pin bar 6 being moved into its locked condition. Thus it is not possible for the panels to be brought together into their closed position with the pin bar already in a locked condition where it would strike the narrower portion of the key plate slot and therefore potentially cause damage to the pin bar or keep plate.

When the panels of the door are brought together into a closed position the projecting portion 14 of the spring 10 first engages with the keep plate and causes the leaf spring to rotate anti-clockwise. There will also be a tendency for the motion of the panels towards each other to be braked.

In an alternative embodiment the keep plates may be slidable and the pin bars fixed.

In this case the spring will engage against the edge of the movable keep plate to prevent it being moved into a locked condition while the panels of the door are open.

When the above described locking mechanism is adapted for use with a pivotal window or door the curved portion of the spring must be positioned such that it is deflected as the pivotal panel is closed. This may be done by rotating this portion of the spring through 90 , otherwise the mechanism will be similar.

It will be appreciated that as well as mounting the keep plate and pin bar on engaging edges of two moving panels one or other may be mounted into the fixed frame to co-operate with a panel edge that closes against the frame and carries the other part. In this type of embodiment a key-operated lock may be provided instead of the handle in the frame to move the part mounted therein between the locked and unlocked conditions.

Claims

1. A multipoint locking mechanism for a door or window comprising a pin bar carrying at least one headed pin, and a keep plate, means for sliding the keep plate or the pin bar relative to the other between a locked condition and an unlocked condition, said keep plate having means for retaining the or each headed pin when the pin bar is slid into a locked condition and being positioned such that when the pin bar is in an unlocked condition there is no interference btween the or each pin and the keep plate, and means cooperating with the slidable one of the keep plate and the pin bar to prevent it being moved into a locked condition when and only when the door or window is open.

2. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking preventing means comprises at least one leaf spring, each spring having a portion cooperating with an edge of the slidable one of the keep plate and the pin bar when the door or window is open and which can be moved out of engagement with the pin bar or keep plate when the door or window is closed.

3. A lock mechanism as claimed in claim 2, for use with a sliding door or window, wherein the leaf spring further comprises a portion projecting outwardly at least to the same extent as the head of the or each pin so that as the door or window is closed, the pin bar or keep plate engages said projection to brake the motion of the window or door.

4. A locking mechanism for a sliding door or window comprising a pin bar carrying at least one headed pin and a keep plate which move relatively towards or away from one another as the door or window is closed or opened, said keep plate and pin bar being slidable relative to one another in a direction transverse to the opening and closing direction in order to move between a locked condition in which the or each headed pin is retained by the keep plate when the door or window is closed, and an unlocked position, spring means engaging with the transversely movable one of the keep plate or pin bar to prevent movement into the locked condition when the door or window is open, and means operable when the door or window is closed to disengage said spring means.

5. A locking mechanism substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.