GB2309735A

GB2309735A - Lock for sliding door or shutter

Info

Publication number: GB2309735A
Application number: GB9702159A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hans Friedrich Mueller
Original assignee: Huwil Werke GmbH
Current assignee: Huwil Werke GmbH
Priority date: 1996-02-02
Filing date: 1997-02-03
Publication date: 1997-08-06
Also published as: DE19603748C1; GB9702159D0

Description

9, 2309735 PATENTS ACT 1977 GMD/A9076GB/D20 Title: LOCK FOR SLIDING DOOR

OR ROLLER SHUTTER

Description of Invention

This invention relates to a lock for a sliding door or roller shutter for locking a cupboard or similar enclosure, having at least one swivel bolt which, by actuating means, is swivelable from a closed position into an open position, with the actuating means being operationally connected to the swivel bolt by means of a coupling rod which is linearly movable along a setting axis, with the or each swivel bolt comprising fixing points which are offset relative to one another and of which one serves for swivelably mounting the swivel bolt, and the second fixing point offset relative to the first one serves for engagement with the coupling rod.

Such a lock for a sliding door with a swivel bolt is described in DE7913092-U 1 wherein the swivel bolt is swivelably supported in a housing fixed to the door. For moving the swivel bolt, there is provided a linearly movable driving rod to which the swivel bolt is connected by means of a steering device.

DE-4202085 proposes a lock wherein the actuating means are provided with a setting element, with coupling rods being articulated at the two setting element ends which project from the housing supporting the setting element. The ends of the coupling rods engage spring-loaded bolts, to be able to move same from the closed position into the open position. The bolts are attached at the ends of a guiding strip, said ends being positioned on the side of the guiding means, for the purpose of engaging, in the closed position, behind abutments in the region of the guiding means for a roller shutter.

DE-V4749V/68b published on 3 May 1956 describes actuating means for the locking rods of a window casement, which actuating means comprise a rotatable setting element comprising a plurality of setting journals which engage the setting grooves of two locking rods adjustable in parallel relative to each other.

1 2 EP-0666394 relates to a locking device for doors or windows, having a plurality of distributed linear adjustable locking bolts which are each supported in a housing.

It is the object of the invention to provide a lock wherein the swivel bolts feature a variable arrangement and which requires only a small number of movable parts to achieve the movement of the swivel bolt, so that this design allows easy adaptation to existing requirements and which ensures safe locking of a sliding door or roller shutter in that when the sliding door or roller shutter is closed, it can be automatically locked as well.

In accordance with the invention, the objective is achieved in that the actuating means comprise a setting element which is movable around a rotational axis extending perpendicularly relative to the setting axis and which comprises a setting journal which projects towards the coupling rod, is arranged eccentrically relative to the rotational axis and engages a setting slot of the coupling rod; and that one of the boundaries of the setting slot is afforded by a slide relative to which the coupling rod is supported for movement in an adjustment path along the setting axis, with a spring arranged therebetween; and that the adjustment path of the coupling rod corresponds to movement of the or each swivel bolt from the closed position to the open position.

The advantage of the above solution is that only one coupling rod carrying out only a linear movement is required for actuating all the swivel bolts which may be provided. 71e swivel bolts may be associated with said coupling rod in any position provided that the coupling rod comprises corresponding actuating slots. lle actuating slots may also be provided in a grid for example to permit easy adaption during assembly. A substantial advantage of this embodiment consist in that due to the possibility of attaching a plurality of swivel bolts, the security of closing for the sliding door or roller shutter can be improved. In particular, this is the case if there is provided a vertically movable roller shutter with a great width. The same applies to very high sliding doors, i.e. it is possible to achieve multiple locking without a great deal of expenditure.

3 Furthermore, the swivel bolts assume a closing position automatically without the need for any manual operations.

If, in the case of a sliding door, it is intended to attach one or a plurality of swivel bolts in the centre of the door height, with the actuating means being displaced upwardly for instance, one end of the coupling rod may project from a housing accommodating the setting element.

In case the upper and lower ends of a sliding door or the sides of a vertically adjustable roller shutter or, additionally, the regions therebetween, are to be associated with spaced swivel bolts, it is proposed according to a further embodiment of the invention that the coupling rod may project at both ends from a housing accommodating the setting element and may be formed in one piece.

The swivel bolts may be fixed directly to the door, for example by screws with a corresponding journal which can be used as a swivel journal. Such an assembly may be provided for swivel bolts arranged between the ends of the coupling rod. However, for attaching the swivel bolts associated with the ends of the coupling rod, it is preferably proposed that the portion(s) of the coupling rod projecting from the housing of the actuating means is/are associated with at least one bolt housing which supports at least one swivel bolt. In this way, the ends of the coupling rod are guided securely at the same time.

Furthermore, it is possible for a bolt housing to support two swivel bolts swivelable in opposite directions.

Such an assembly is suitable in those cases for example where only one lock is provided in the centre of a door, with two swivel bolts being selected to improve the holding security.

Two embodiments of the invention are diagrammatically illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view of a lock for a horizontally displaceable sliding door or roller shutter, having swivel bolts attached to the ends of a continuous coupling rod and means which allow automatic closing of the swivel bolts when the door is moved into the closed position; 4 Figure 2 is a section on II-II of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a lock in accordance with the invention, for a sliding door which is movable in the horizontal direction, with only one end of a coupling rod projecting from a housing of the actuating means and with a bolt housing, at the end of the coupling rod, comprising two swivel bolts swivelable in opposite directions.

The embodiment according to Figures 1 and 2 is a lock which is intended for a horizontally movable sliding door or roller shutter, e.g. for a cupboard. Actuating means 2 comprises a housing 3 and a setting element 4 which is swivelably adjustable, i.e. rotatable to a limited extent, in the housing 3 around a rotational axis 5. The setting element 4 comprises a setting journal 6 which is arranged eccentrically relative to the rotational axis 5. The setting element 4 is rotationally adjustable by manual actuating means (not illustrated), either a rotary handle or a cylinder lock.

The housing 3 accommodates a coupling rod 7 which is linearly movable along a setting axis 8 and which, at both ends, projects from the housing 3. The coupling rod 7 comprises a setting slot 9 which extends at a right angle relative to the setting axis 8 and, along the setting axis 8, has boundaries or delimiting regions 23, 24 between which there is received the setting journal 6. When the setting element 4 is actuated, according to the direction of rotation one of the two boundaries 23, 24 is loaded by the setting journal 6, so that the coupling rod 7 is moved along the setting axis 8.

Bolt housings 10, 10 ' are attached at the two ends of the coupling rod 7 projecting from the housing 3 of the actuating means 2. At the lower end of the coupling rod 7 visible in Figure 1, there is provided a bolt housing 10, with the lower end of the codpling rod 7 entering said bolt housing 10 and being guided therein. The bolt housing 10 swivelably receives a swivel bolt 11 having a hook 12. The swivel bolt 11 comprises two fixing points 13, 14 which are offset relative to one another, of which the fixing point 14 is provided in the form of a bore which serves to receive a bearing journal 19 secured to the bolt housing 10. The other fixing point 13 is provided with a journal 15 engaging an actuating slot 16 of the coupling rod 7. Each of the fixing points of the swivel bolt is able either to receive a bearing journal as 19 or to receive a journal as 15, so that the same design of swivel bolt may be used with minor modification at the upper end of the coupling rod as described below. lle actuating slot 16 starts from the narrow face of the coupling rod 7 which is remote from the fixing point 14. In the position shown in'continuous lines, the swivel bolt 11, by means of the hook 12, extends over a closing journal 18 of a closing plate 17 attached to the body of the cupboard for example.

At the upper end of the coupling rod 7, which projects from the housing 3 of the actuating means 2, there is arranged a bolt housing 10' which is entered by the tree end of the coupling rod 7. lle bolt housing 10' has a bearing journal 19' disposed towards the face of the coupling rod 7 which comprises the actuating slot 16 associated with the swivel bolt 11. Accordingly, the actuating slot 16 ' for the swivel bolt 11 ' is arranged so as to start from the narrow face adjacent which there is arranged the bearing journal 19 associated with the other swivel bolt 11. The swivel bolt 11 ' is also shown in the closed position. It extends over the closing journal 18 of the closing plate 17 i.e. it is in the position where it is swivelled to the left around the journal 19 If the setting element 4 is now turned towards the right, i.e. clockwise, the setting journal 6 moves around the rotational axis 5 and loads the delimiting boundary 23, so that the coupling rod 7 is moved upwardly along the. setting axis 8, with the actuating slot 16 acting in the swivel bolt 11, 11 ', on the other hand, is adjusted towards the right, i.e. clockwise around the bearing journal 19 ' when the coupling rod 7 is displaced. The swivel bolts 11, 11 ' are disengaged from the associated closing journals 18 afid the door can be opened.

However, additionally, a measure has been introduced in the region of the actuating means 2, which causes the two swivel bolts 11, 11 ' to swivel automatically into the open position while the door is being closed and subsequently to return into the closed position. For this purpose, there is 6 provided a slide 10 which is guided in the housing 3. The slide 20 affords the delimiting means 24 of the setting slot 9, whereas the other delimiting means 23 are formed by the coupling rod 7 itself. The coupling rod 7 is provided with a recess 22 containing a spring 21. One end of said spring 21 is supported on a supporting face 26 of the recess 22 of the coupling rod 7, whereas its other end is supported against a supporting face 27 of the slide 20. As a result, the slide 20 is always pressed into contact with the setting journal 6. For moving the swivel bolts 11, 11 ' by means of the coupling rod 7 from the closed position illustrated in continuous lines into the open position as shown in dashed lines, there is provided a closing cylinder 25 which, when actuated clockwise (with reference to Figure 1), leads to the movement of the setting element 4, with the setting journal 6, as described above, loading the delimiting means 23 of the coupling rod 7, so that the coupling rod 7 is moved upwardly. The slide 20 remains in its position relative to the setting journal, i.e. it follows same. The spring 21 is compressed. After the door has been opened for example, the swivel bolts 11, 11 ' automatically return from the position illustrated in dashed lines to the position illustrated in continuous lines, but they are not in contact with the closing journals 18 of the two closing plates 17, 17 '. The spring 21 ensures that the coupling rod 7 is subjected to a force causing it to move downwardly, so that the swivel bolts 11, 11 ' return into the original position. If swivel bolts 11, 11 ' are in their closed positions and in the course of closing the door stop against the closing journals 18 of the closing plates 17, 1V, there is exerted a force which causes the swivel bolts 11, 11 to swivel towards their open positions until they have cleared the journals 18, and then return to their closed positions. This is achieved because the coupling rod 7 can be moved upwardly against the force of the spring 21, i.e. it can be moved reldtive to the stationary setting journal 6.

Figure 3 shows an embodiment of a lock 1 ' which is modified relative to that shown in Figures 1 and 2, and there is provided a coupling rod 7, which projects from the housing 3 of the actuating means 2 ' at one end only. The free end of the coupling rod 7 ' is provided with a bolt housing 10 11 which comprises 7 two bearing journals 19, 19 ' supporting the two swivel bolts 11, 11 Accordingly, the coupling rod 7' is provided with two actuating slots 16, 16 starting from opposite narrow faces thereof, which slots are engaged by the swivel bolts 11, 11 ' by means of journals 15, 15 '. Such a lock 1 ' may be used, for example, for a sliding door or roller shutter movable in a horizontal plane, wherein both swivel bolts 11, 11 ' with the housing 10' may be attached in the centre of the sliding door or roller shutter, whereas the actuating means 2 are attached at a higher level relative thereto. 'Re two swivel bolts 11, 11 ' swivel in opposite directions.

Overall, it is possible to provide the actuating slots 16, 16 ' in a grid arrangement to be able to attach the swivel bolts in different positions during assembly, as required.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

1 8

Claims

1. A lock for a sliding door or roller shutter, comprising at least one swivel bolt which, by actuating means, is swivelable from a closed position into an open position, with the actuating means being operationally connected to the or each swivel bolt by means of a coupling rod which is linearly movable along a setting axis, the or each swivel bolt comprising fixing points which are offset relative to one another and of which one serves for swivelably mounting the swivel bolt and a second fixing point offset relative to the first one serves for engagement with the coupling rod; wherein the actuating means comprise a setting element which is movable around a rotational axis extending perpendicularly relative to the setting axis and which comprises a setting journal which projects towards the coupling rod, is arranged eccentrically relative to the rotational axis, and engages a setting slot of the coupling rod; and one of the boundaries of the setting slot is afforded by a slide relative to which the coupling rod is supported for movement in an adjustment path along the setting axis, with a spring arranged therebetween; the adjustment path of the coupling rod corresponding to movement of the or each swivel bolt from the closed position to the opened position.

2. A lock according to Claim 1 wherein, at one end, the coupling rod projects from a housing of the actuating means accomm odating the setting element.

3. A lock according to Claim 1 wherein the coupling rod projects at both ends from a housinj accommodating the setting element and is formed in one piece.

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4. A lock according to Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein the portion(s) of the coupling rod projecting from the housing is/are associated with at least one bolt housing supporting at least one swivel bolt.

5. A lock according to Claim 4 wherein the bolt housing supports two swivel bolts swivelable in opposite directions to one another between their closed and open positions.

6. A lock according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each of the two fixing points of a swivel bolt can be used either to fix a swivel journal for engagement with an actuating slot of the coupling rod or for swivelably mounting the swivel bolt.

7. A lock substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.