GB2199611A

GB2199611A - Symmetrical door lock

Info

Publication number: GB2199611A
Application number: GB08729578A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Elis Nabb; Stig Eggert
Original assignee: Wartsila Oy AB
Current assignee: Wartsila Oy AB
Priority date: 1986-12-29
Filing date: 1987-12-18
Publication date: 1988-07-13
Anticipated expiration: 2007-12-18
Also published as: SE8705071D0; SE464769B; FR2611373B1; DK164130B; FI865326A0; DE3743906A1; NO875451D0; FI80124B; FI865326A; NO173566B; FI80124C; FR2611373A1; GB8729578D0; SE8705071L; NO875451L; GB2199611B; DK164130C; DK666687A; NO173566C; DK666687D0

Description

Symmetrical door lock 11 9 2199611 The invention relates to a symmetrical

door lock comprising a lock housing, which is provided with a bolt movable along an axis of the bolt between retracted and protruding positions relative to the housing, and with two operation axes positioned symmetrically on opposite sides of the bolt axis and with means on one hand for transmitting a bolt-moving force from a lock operating device, for instance a handle, installed at an operation axis, and on the other hand for accomplishing dead locking of the bolt in its protruding position from an operation axis for instance by means of a turn knob or a key.

Based upon a desire to simplify manufacturing techniques and a desire to make installation easier, efforts have been made to develop universal lock housings which could be fitted to a door in advance and which could be modified for different alternative door installations by making minor changes but without the need to detach and reinstall the lock. housing. As both the handedness and the direction of opening of a door can change, a cer- tain symmetry of design is a requirement f or this kind of universal lock housing. In practice prior art lock housings have been of a design such that they can be turned around either just a horizontal axis or just a vertical axis. Unification of these qualities causes problems especially when lock-operating devices accomplishing various functions are installed at the operation axis so that the lock housing would be turnable arbitrarily around whichever of said axes and despite this the lock-operating device in question could be installed at a desired.position It should also be possible to turn the latch bolt through 180 about its axis without disassembling the lock housing or detaching it from the door.

One aim of the invention is to eliminate the drawbacks in prior art lock designs as. described above and to create

1 i 30 2 - for aim such a novel door lock, which is likewise turnable with the door around a horizontal as well as a vertical axis and is ready, or can with minor measures be made ready, operation without detachment from the door. A further of the invention is to create a door lock with a construction which is uncomplicated and has advantages from the viewpoint of manufacturing and assembling thereof.

The aims of the invention are believed to be met with the symmetrical door lock defined in the following claim 1. Central to the invention is the fact that the means for transmitting bolt-moving forces from a lock operating device at an operation axis to the bolt includes two guiding elements for the bolt turnably supported in the lock housing on opposite sides of the bolt axis, each operation axis being surrounded by a force-transmission unit, each of which, in the direction of the respective operation axis, is divided into first and second cam elements freely turnable one relative to the other, each first cam element being provided with an ordinary follower which is arranged to turn the respective guiding element for retracting the bolt into the lock housing and each second cam element being provided with a dead locking cam which is turnable into a position in which it prevents said turning of the respective guiding element and hence prevents retracting of the bolt.

The first cam element of either force-transmission unit takes care of retracting the bolt into the lock housing and the second is used for providing a dead locking function. Opening/closing of the door and dead locking of the bolt are accomplished by means of the two guiding elements located one on either side of the bolt. Not only does the invention makes the lock suitable for inner doors to be used at different places of operation irrespective of the final place of installation thereof, simultaneously it minimises the number of different parts needed k 1 1 1 1 6 within the lock housing.

Due to the fact that separate turnable guiding elements are used for withdrawing the bolt into the housing, the lock is also light in its operation, because the reciprocatingly movable masses related to the bolt are relatively small. The actual bolt need include, inside the lock housing, only a shaft-member, which can be provided with radial flange members positioned at a distance from each other. The guiding elements for their part desir- ably include protrusions arranged to locate between said' flange members so that the guiding movements of the guiding elements and the axial movements of the bolt are dependent on each other.

The flange members can, with advantage, be connected to each other and movably supported on the shaft member of the bolt. In addition, the lock housing can include a spring, preferably guided by said shaft member, arranged to urge said flange members in the direction out from the lock housing and, thus, to keep the flange members in place against the head of the bolt during normal operation of the lock. In practice this is accomplished so that the lock housing comprises a stop member for the follower for restricting the turning range of the f. ollower and of the guiding element. In this way, simultaneously, the protruding length of the bolt out from the lock housing in accordance with normal operation is determined through said flange members. As the flange members are not actually fixed to the bolt, the bolt can be pulled out from the lock housing against the force of said spring so that the bolt can be turned around its axis for changing the position of the latch bolt relative to the housing.

The first and second cam elements are provided with through-going force transmission openings, which are positioned at the operation axis and which are provided with 4 - guiding surfaces functionally compatible with the force transmission members of different lock operating devices so that a handle or a corresponding device is arranged to turn always both the cam elements on the same operation axis simultaneously for moving the bolt into its retracted position and that also a different operating device, for instance a key, a WC turn knob or the like can be attached to the lock, suited for turning only the second cam element with the dead locking cam for providing dead locking of the bolt.

In this way a desired function can be selected in accordance with the choice of lock operating device installed at the particular operation axis. In practice one can more precisely arrange so that the second cam element, which is provided with the dead locking cam, includes a guiding surface or surfaces arranged in cooperation with an operating device for accomplishing dead locking and extending in the direction of the operation axis substantially farther than guiding sufaces included in the first cam element provided with the ordinary follower for accomplishing turning of the follower. Further both the cam elements of a force transmission element can be provided with a detachable guiding element or plate preferably of plastic, including a suitably formed guiding opening for accomplishing dead locking with a key or a corresponding lock-operating device but excluding handle operation. In this way correct position and the proper movements for the key can be precisely determined as can also be the type of the operating device to be installed.

It is of advantage that the guiding element for the bolt is provided with a stop member for the follower (e.g. extending substantially parallel to the operating axes). Hereby force transmission from the follower is secured and, notwithstanding, the guiding element for the bolt can be rather uncomplicated and light in construction.

S 1 1 r For securing the dead locking function it is of advantage to arrange so that the dead locking cam is urged by a spring to move towards both its dead locking and its free end position. In this way dead locking cannot 5 be caused accidentally.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a lock according to the invention in side view with the lock housing opened and the bolt in the protruding position, Figure 2 shows the lock of Figure 1 with the bolt in the retracted position, Figure 3 shows, in a sectional view, a force transmission unit consisting of two parts installed at the operation axis, and Figure 4 shows a section on the line IV-IV of Figure 3.

In the drawings the reference numeral 1 designates a lock housing, which is provided with a latch bolt 2 having a shaft member 2a extending in the direction of the axis of the bolt inside the lock housing. The lock housing defines two operation axes 31, Y' positioned symmetrically on opposite sides of the shaft member 2a. Surrounding each axis 31, Y' is a force transmission unit 41, C each consisting of two cam elements 51, 5" and 61, C. One cam element 51, 5" of each force transmission unit is provided with a dead locking cam 71, V', which is turnable independently on the other cam element 61, V in-tw a: gcrTdjt:on dead locking the latch bolt 2. The dead locking cam 71,7" is urged by a spring 9', C on one hand towards the dead locking position and on the othe - r hand towards a free position. The other cam element 6', C is provided with an ordinary follower 101, 1011.

1 Force transmission from each operation axis 31, Y' to the latch bolt 2 takes place by means of a respective one of two guiding elements 121, 12", each of which is turnably supported within the lock housing on a respective stub shaft 13', 13". The guiding element 12' includes a stop member 141, extending generally parallel to the operation axes, for the follower 10', a protrusion 15' ' cooperating with a stop surface 8' in the dead locking cam 71 when the dead locking cam 71 is turned into its dead locking position, and a protrusion 161 for retracting tne latch bolt 2 into the lock housing. The guiding element 12" is similarly provided with a stop member 1C and pro trusions 15", 1C which perform the same functions as those described for the element 121. A guiding element 17 including spaced-apart flange members 17a and 17b is provided on the shaft member 2a of the latch bolt so that the protrusion 16', 1C of each guiding element 121, 12" is positioned between the flange members 17a and 17b and in cooperation therewith. A spring 18 positioned on the shaft member 2a_urges the guiding element 17 against the latch bolt 2. The shaft member 2a also includes a stop member 19 for the spring 18.

When either cam element 61 or C is turned with a suitable lock operating device, the respective follower (i.e. either 10' or 10") presses the stop member 14 of the guiding element 12 and, thus, turns the guiding element 12 around the stub shaft 13. Thereby the protru sion 16 of the guiding element 12 is pressed against the flange member 17b and the spring 18. The spring 18 being selected to be stiff enough is thereby not compressed to any significant extent, but the turning movement of the protrusion 16 causes the latch bolt 2 to be moved into the lock housing as shown in Figure 2. Return of the latch bolt 2 into its protruding position takes place by means of spring 21, which is supported on the stub shaft 13 Too great a protrusion of the latch bolt 2 v A out of the lock housing is prevented by a stop member 28 arranged in the lock housing to contact the follower 10', which together with the guiding element 121, the flange members 17a and 17b and the spring 18 determine the length of the latch bolt 2 which protrudes out from the lock housing. On the other hand when it is expressly desired to turn the latch bolt 180 about the axis of the shaft member 2a into another position for adapting the lock to another place of operation, the latch bolt can be pulled sufficiently out from the lock housing, against the force of the spring 18, so that said turning can be carried out. In this event the spring 18 is compressed between the flange member 17b and the stop member 19.

Dead locking is accomplished by turning one or other of the cam elements 51 or 5" so, that the respective dead locking cam 7 moves sufficiently close to the protrusion 15 of the guiding element 12 to prevent turning of the guiding element 12 and retraction of the latch bolt 2 into the lock housing.

The construction of each force transmission unit 4 is shown in more detail in Figures 3 and 4. The force transmission units are fully identical as to their possibilities of operation and construction. On the other hand as is apparent from Figures 1 and 2, in practice the cam elements 5 and 6 are positioned at the operation axes in different order so that when the lock is turned around a horizontal axis, or the axis of the latch bolt, the construction of the force transmission units remains unchanged. In this situation, in order to be a.ble to keep also the operation unchanged, i.e. the same lock operating devices can still be positioned either on the upper 31 or on the lower operation axis Y', the cam elements 5 and 6 are provided with force transmissio n openings 22 and 23, which comprise suitably formed guiding surfaces 24, 26a and 26b in the element 5 and guiding surfaces 25 in the element 6. The force transmission opening 22 and 23 in each cam element 5, 6 respectively comprises a square-formed basic portion, which is functionally compatible with a correspondingly formed force transmission member of a handle (not shown in the Figures). Hence when a handle which is installed at either of the operation axes 31 or 3" is rotated on either side of the lock, both cam elements 5 and 6 positioned at the respective operation axis turn, whereby the follower 10 moves the latch bolt 2 with the aid of the guiding element 12 inside the lock housing. The turning angle needed therefor is rather small, about 20'-30', so even though the dead locking cam 7 simultaneously turns against the spring 9, the dead locking cam 7 is not able to approach even close to its dead locking position.

The cam element 5, which is provided with the dead locking cam 7, also includes guiding surfaces 26a and 26b, which extend in the direction of the operation axis 3 substantially farther than the guiding surfaces 24 intended for handle operation. Thus, the guiding surfaces 26a and 26b can be effected from the side of both the cam element 5 and the cam element 6 'with a key, a WC turn knob or a corresponding lock operating device which radially extends from the operation axis to said guiding surfaces 26a or 26b and which thereby turns only the cam element 5 and, thus, the dead locking cam 7 for accomplishing dead locking. For these operation devices the force transmission openings 22 and 23 are provided with one and with two radial branches respectively. The difference is due to the fact that when the dead locking cam 7 is turned from the side of the cam element 5 with regard to the lock so as to move the dead locking cam 7 into the dead locking position, the cam element 5 simultaneously turns through 900, whereby the key cannot be removed without provision of the other branch, whereas when turning 1 1 9 from the side of the cam element 6 the cam element 6 itself remains unmoved and thus no auxiliary opening branches are needed to be able to remove the key.

The cam elements 5 and 6 also include recesses 27a and 27b for the location of plates l1a and 11b (cf. Figure 1). Each plate 11 is,intended to provide a guidance open ing for the reception of a key or a corresponding lock operating device. Each guidance opening is smaller -than the cam elements themselves, whereby when used they exclude the possibility of conventional handle operation. This is based on the fact that in practice the crosssection of the force transmission member in a handle is substantially larger and/or of different form than the cross-section of a key or of the corresponding part in a turn knob respectively. The difference between the forms of the openings in the plates 11a and 11b, respectively, corresponds to the difference between the openings 22 and 23, which is explained in the foregoing paragraph. As the plates 11 are removable, in praptice_ they can be used in a simple way for determining on which operation axis the lock user wishes to provide for a handle and on which to provide for key operation or the like. if handle operation is required for the lock the appropriate plate 11 can simply be removed from the lock housing to provide access for the force transmitting member of the handle.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and several modifications are feasible within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A symmetrical door lock, comprising a lock housing which is provided with a bolt, movable along an axis of the bolt between retracted and protruding positions relative to the housing, and with two operation axes positioned symmetrically on opposite sides of the bolt axis and with means on one hand for transmitting a bolt-moving force from a lock operating device, for instance a handle, installed at an operation axis, and on the other hand for accomplishing dead locking of the bolt in its protruding position from an operation axis for instance by means of a turn knob or a key, wherein the said means includes two guiding elements for the bolt turnably supported in the lock housing on opposite sides of the bolt axis, each operation axis being surrounded by a force- transmission unit each of which, in the direction of the -respective operation axis, is divided into first and second cam elements freely turnable one relative to the other, each first cam element being provided with an ordinary follower which is arranged to turn the respective guiding element for retracting the bolt into the lock housing and each second cam element being provided with a dead locking cam, which is turnable into a position, in which it prevents said turning of the respective guiding element and hence prevents retracting of the bolt.

2. A door lock according to claim 1, in which the bolt includes, inside the lock housing, a shaft member which is provided with radial spacedapart flange members and the guiding elements include protrusions located between the flange members so that the guiding movements of the guiding elements and the axial movements of the bolt are dependent on each other.

3. A door lock according to claim 2, in which the flange parts are connected to each other and are movably supported on the shaft member, the lock housing including t ft 1 11 - a spring arranged to urge the flange members in the outward direction with respect to the lock housing.

4. A door lock according to claim 3, in which the spring surrounds the shaft member and urges one of the flange members against a head of the bolt during normal operation of the lock-

5. A door lock according to claim 2, 3 or 4, in which the lock housing comprises a stop member for the follower for restricting the turning range of the follower and of the guiding element and, thus, for determining through - the flange members the protruding length of the bolt extending out from the lock housing in accordance with normal operation.

6. A door lock according to any one of claims 3 to 5, in which the latch bolt can be pulled out from the lock housing against the force of the spring a distance exceeding the normal protruding length of the bolt head so that the latch bolt can be turned about its axis through 18C.

7. A door lock according to any one preceding claim, in which the cam elements of each force transmission unit are each provided with a throughgoing force transmission opening, each of- which opening is positioned about the operation axis and is provided with guiding surfaces functionally compatible with the-force transmission members of different operating devices so that a handle or a corresponding operating device can be used to turn always both the cam elements on the same operation axis simultaneously for withdrawing the bolt into the housing and that also 6 different operating device, for instance a key or a WC turn knob can be used to turn only the cam element with the dead locking cam for providing dead locking of the bolt.

1 12 -

8. A door lock according to claim 7, in which the cam element, which is provided with the dead locking cam, includes a guiding surface or surfaces arranged in cooperation with an operating device for accomplishing dead locking and extending in the direction of the operation axis substantially farther than guiding surfaces included. in the cam element provided with the ordinary follower for accomplishing turning of the follower.

9. A door lock according to any one preceding claim, in which both the cam elements of a force transmission element are provided with a detachable plate providing suitably formed guiding opening not adapted to receive handle but adapted to receive a key or a corresponding operating device but excluding handle operation for accom- plishing dead locking.

10. A door lock according to any one preceding claim, in which the guiding element for the bolt includes a stop member for the follower extending generally in the direction of the operating-axes.

11. A door lock according to any one preceding claim, in which the dead locking cam is urged by a spring to move towards both its dead locking and its free end position.

12. A symmetrical door lock substantially as herein- before described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

Published 19IR8 &-. 7he Patent Office, State House 66 71 High Hol-Dorr, London WGIR 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from The FiLtent Office. Sales Branch, St Mary Cray. Orpington. Kent BR5 3RD Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd. St Mary Cray, Kent. Con. 1/87.

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