WO2010049458A1

WO2010049458A1 - Device for protection against manipulation of a lock

Info

Publication number: WO2010049458A1
Application number: PCT/EP2009/064233
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lena Johansson; Kryszof Johansson
Original assignee: Datakammaren Ab
Priority date: 2008-10-30
Filing date: 2009-10-28
Publication date: 2010-05-06

Abstract

A device for protection against manipulation of a lock comprises two plates (21a, 21b), mutually attached so that a space is created between. The space comprises a breakthrough obstructing material (91). An advantage with the device (20) is that it offers increased safety and protection of property, by protecting against manipulation of a lock.

Description

DEVICE FOR PROTECTION AGAINST MANIPULATION OF A LOCK

Technical Field The present invention concerns a device for burglary protection, and more specifically protection against manipulation of locks, such as lock picking.

Background

As long as locked doors have existed, people have been trying to manipulate these with the purpose of unduly forcing them. As material and technology have developed, better and better locks have been developed to withstand manipulation and thus protect both individuals and property. However, it has recently been found that modern lock systems in doors can easily be manipulated, e.g. by manipulation with a picklock. The kind of pick locking tools may vary, such as screw drivers, blade tools etc. One of the world's leading lock manufacturers has admitted that existing lock designs have obvious weaknesses, which was proved when amateurs within the field easily could pick one of the most common locks on the market in less than 10 seconds, by manipulating the lock bolts via the slit that exists between the door and the frame, when the door is in closed position. The lock design in question belongs to the most expensive and exclusive type of door locks on the market and is certified by the Swedish Theft Prevention Association (Svenska Stδldskyddsfδreningen, SSF), which has not been able to expose the weaknesses in the lock design when performing the tests that are required for certification. As a matter of fact, most available locks, certified or not, do not pass realistic demands for more than ten seconds. Quality assessment of locks does not include ending tools, such as an angle grinder fitted with a cutting wheel or a reciprocating saw, at the test procedures, even though these types of tools are commonly occurring in the market and may be fitted with powerful battery operation. With these tools, all locks existing on the market may easily be forced in a very short time. Fig. 1 is an outline of a prior-art lock design 10, viewed in cross-section from above.

The reason why known lock designs of this kind are easy to force is that the lock bolt 11, which is being pushed out from the lock design 10 mounted in the door 13 and which extends into a strike plate 12 in the door frame 14, can easily be cut by any of the abovementioned tools, since the lock bolt 11 is visible through the slit 15 formed between the door 13 and the frame 14. Moreover, some types of locks may, as already mentioned, easily be manipulated by manipulating the bolts by some kind of picklock, such as a blade tool. To prevent manipulation of the bolts with a picklock, todays designs are provided with a plate for covering the slit when the plate is attached to the door.

A design of this type is disclosed in US-A-4,486,463. However, it is uncertain whether the fastened plate withstands outward bending, so that a picklock may still be inserted in the slit between door and frame. Even if this would be the case, it is obvious that the plate, regardless of material, will not be able to withstand an ending tool fitted with a grinding disc, or other easily accessible tools, since both the plate and the bolts may be cut in one instant in a very short time. Also, the tinplate may be forced by only cutting a minimal cut, i.e. a vertical slit, through which the bolts are easily accessible to a picklock. The time for breaking the door is below two minutes, which is totally unacceptable.

Various kinds of safety doors are also provided within the art. One such safety door, disclosed in DE-A-19526207, has an edge portion extending over the slit between the door and the frame. However, it is uncertain if the edge withstands outward bending.

Also, the edge portion will not be able to withstand for example an ending tool fitted with a grinding disc.

Another weakness of known lock designs is that the lock cylinder may be manipulated. For example if the lock cylinder is not cylindrical, but has an oblong cross- sectional area, it is easy to twist from its holder by means of a crocodile spanner, adjustable wrench or some other gripping tool. Even if the cylinder is circular, it may also be twisted from its holder. It is also common to manipulate the lock cylinder, or even completely remove it, by drilling.

Thus, there is a need for an improved lock design, which offers increased safety and protection of property. In particular, there is a need for a device for protection against manipulation of locks.

Summary

Accordingly, the present invention preferably seeks to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above-identified deficiencies in the art and disadvantages singly or in any combination and solves at least the above mentioned problems by providing a device for protection against manipulation of a lock.

This aim is achieved by a device according to appended claim 1. Furthermore, preferred embodiments are presented in the related dependent claims. According to one aspect of the invention, the device comprises two spaced plates which are mutually attached and which define a space containing breakthrough obstructing material.

An advantage with the inventive concept is that it provides increased security and protection of property, since it protects against manipulation of a lock.

The protective elements may be separated by a spacer structure with compartments for receiving the breakthrough obstructing material.

An advantage with this embodiment is that the breakthrough obstructing material will be properly held in place by the spacer structure. In an aspect, if the lock is mounted in a door at a door frame and comprises a lock bolt, the device covers the slit between the door and the door frame, at the position of the lock bolt.

An advantage with this embodiment is that the lock bolt is covered and cannot be manipulated from the outside. In another aspect, the device comprises at least one light source for lighting an area around a key hole and/or an area around a handle.

An advantage with this embodiment is that the light source provides visual guidance for a user.

Brief Description of the Drawings

These and other aspects, features and advantages of which the invention is capable will be apparent and elucidated from the following description of embodiments of the present invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which

Fig. 1 is an outline of a known lock design, viewed in cross-section from above;

Fig. 2 is a front view of a device according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken along the line III-III in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a schematic front view of the device shown in Figs 2-3; Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-section taken along the line V-V in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a front view of a device according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a cross-section taken along the line VII-VII in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 shows four views of a part of the device of Figs 6-7; Fig. 9 is an exploded view of a device according to a third embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 10 is an exploded view of the device of Fig. 9 in connection with a door or window, seen from the outside; Fig. 11 is an exploded view of the device of Fig. 9 in connection with a door or window, seen from the inside;

Fig. 12 is a view of the device according to the third embodiment of the invention mounted to a door or window, seen from the outside;

Fig. 13 is a view of the device according to the third embodiment of the invention mounted to a door or window, seen from the inside; and

Fig. 14 is a front view of a part of the device of Figs 9-11, on larger scale.

Detailed Description

In a first embodiment according to Figs 2-3, a device 20 for protection against manipulation of a lock 10' is disclosed. The device 20 comprises resistant protective elements, here shown in the form of two protective elements 21a, 21b, such as plates or tinplates, mutually attached so that a space 22 is created between the plates, which space 22 comprises a breakthrough obstructing material to be further described below.

The advantage is that the device 20 is thus durable to breakthrough, such as with saw, angle grinder, plasma or laser tool, or cutting torch. Another advantage is that the device withstands drilling.

The device 20 may be fastened to a door or a window 23 in a way corresponding to existing designs. Most common is that a similar, somewhat slimmer, mounting plate 24 is mounted to the inside of the door, from which fastening means 25, such as screws, are attached by hidden threading 25a to that side of the device 20 which is directed towards the door or the window 23. A handle 33 extends through the device 20.

The device 20 is placed so that the whole slit 26, in front of and a few centimeters above and below the lock, respectively, on the outer side of the door, is covered by the device. This gives the advantage that the lock device is protected against manipulation, since it is inaccessible by manipulation tools, such as picklocks. The device 20 is not breachable within an acceptable time, by cutting with some kind of electric of battery powered saw, or by an electric or battery powered angle grinder. Moreover, the device 20 is not breachable without a great effort and long time, by forcing or cutting with a portable electric plasma or laser tool or by a conventional cutting torch (oxygen gas or acetylene gas). Other tools that may be applicable for this purpose do not yet exist on the market.

At least one of the plates 21a, 21b of the device 20 may be made of one of the metals in the group steel, aluminum, stainless steel or manganese. The thickness of the plate may for example be in the range of about 2-10 mm, preferably 2-4 mm and most preferably about 3 mm.

The manganese plate may not be sawed (or cut) due to its immense hardness.

At least one of said plates 21a, 21b of the device 20 may be made of a standard metal. The device 20 is preferably constructed to be esthetically appealing. It may be thin to give an appealing and rustic look. The device 20 may also be fitted with a front plate 27 which is esthetically appealing. The front plate 27 may be fitted with glue or attachment bands and may be in another material than the plates 21a, 21b, such as cupper, aluminum, stainless steel or brass. The two plates 21a, 21b may be mutually attached with sealing attachments, such as weld, glue or screw attachments, so that the air space wherein the breakthrough obstructing material is "kept" will not be exposed for moisture, since the qualities of the breakthrough obstructing material may be adversely affected by corrosion. An alternative may be to enclose the space 22 in the device 20 in an external hollow box of corrosion resistant metal which effectively prevents corrosion on the primary design.

The space 22 may comprise moisture absorbing, lubricating protective oil. This oil may be applied before the last sealing is performed, for example through a special lubricant hole.

In an aspect, the breakthrough obstructing material comprises a number of pellets 30, or balls (see Fig. 3).

An advantage with this is that, if a tool manages to force the first, the outer, of the plates 21a, it will make the pellets 30 roll in relation to each other. Thus, the tool cannot proceed and force the second, the inner, of the plates 21b.

The pellets 30 may be made of any metal. Specifically, the pellets 30 may be made of any of the metals in the group steel, stainless steel, nickel or manganese.

Alternatively, the pellets 30 may be made of any material chosen from the group stone, casted mineral based material, or cement based material.

Furthermore, the pellets 30 may be a combination of any of the abovementioned materials. The breakthrough obstructing material may comprise a fire protecting material. The pellets 30 may be hard metal granules of the kind used in conjunction with conventional milling machines, such as cemented carbide.

An advantage with this is that the device 20 will be more resilient against influence from a laser or plasma. In an aspect, the breakthrough obstructing material comprises stone. The stone may be any kind of stone, e.g. granite, such as Diabase of Pophyre, which are the hardest types of granite available, or gneiss, or shale.

The breakthrough obstructing material may comprise casted mineral based material, such as cast marble, ceramic granite, cemented carbide or cement based material. The casted mineral based material may be in the form of pellets 30 or in the form of solid units.

In an aspect, the breakthrough obstructing material comprises a cement based material. This has the advantage that the device 20 will be more resilient against influence from a laser or plasma. The breakthrough obstructing material may also comprise a metal plate, such as of zinc, which has the advantage that the device 20 will be more resilient against influence from a laser or plasma.

The breakthrough obstructing material may comprise a plastic material, such as polycarbonate. This has the advantage that the device 20 will be more resilient against influence from a laser or plasma.

At high demands for protection, the device 20 may be designed with several protective elements 21 and several spaces 22, to give longer resistance at attempted burglary. The spaces are then delimited with intermediate protective elements, such as the intermediate protective plate 21c in Fig. 3. All of the above mentioned breakthrough obstructing materials may be combined to give a protection against several of the above described tools for breakthrough. A time delaying effect may arise from application of several enclosed spaces with breakthrough obstructing material, such as pellets, in a lamina package.

In an embodiment (not shown), the entire space between the protective elements of the device is filled with breakthrough obstructing material.

Thus, in the embodiment according to Figs 2-5 where the lock 10' is fitted in a door 23 at a door frame 28 and comprises a lock bolt 29, the device 20 covers the slit 26 between the door 23 and the door frame 28.

An opening 31 for a key 34 may be shaped so that the device 20 fits outside a lock cylinder 32, see Figs 4 and 5. The opening 31 may be shaped in any desired way. In a second embodiment according to Figs 6 and 7, wherein the lock comprises a lock cylinder 32, the device 20 comprises a protective cylinder cap 41 which encloses the lock cylinder 32.

In order to prevent manipulation of oval lock cylinders that are not protected in the front, the device 20 may be worked and shaped to fit around cylinder cap 41 with a visible hole for the key, such as an opening 31.

As in the first embodiment, the breakthrough obstructing material may comprise pellets 30.

The protective cylinder cap 41 may be fastened through the abovementioned protective plates 21 that affect the back of the cover with threads. The protective cap may be made of materials that are hardened after machining, for higher resilience against attacks by saw or edging tool.

The cylinder cap 41 may be of any suitable hard material, such as steel, stainless steel or hardened steel. Different views of the cylinder cap 41 are shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 8a is a view of the cylinder cap 41 from the front, Fig. 8b is a view of the cylinder cap 41 from the top, Fig. 8c is a view of the cylinder cap 41 from the back and Fig. 8d is a view of the cylinder cap 41 from the side. A space 81 in the cylinder cap 41 is delimited by the measurements X so that the space matches the lock cylinder 32. Other dimensions of the cylinder cap 41, such as diameter, length, etc, may vary depending on circumstances. Furthermore, the cylinder cap 41 has holes 82 for suitable attachment means, such as screw nuts. The cylinder cap 41 also has an opening 31, through which the key may be inserted into the lock cylinder 32.

An advantage of the cylinder cap 41 is that the cylinder may not be manipulated, such as by twisting it from its holder with a crocodile spanner, adjustable wrench or some other gripping tool. The cylinder cap 41 further protects the cylinder from drilling.

If the lock comprises a lock cylinder next to a whole stack, included in the existing lock designs, the entire device may be left open so that the existing design is still fully visible. In a third embodiment according to Fig. 9, the protective elements 21a, 21b of the device 20 are separated by a spacer structure 92 or cassette with compartments 93 receiving the breakthrough obstructing material. The breakthrough obstructing material may be any kind of breakthrough obstructing material described in previous embodiments in any kind of combination. In the shown embodiment, the breakthrough obstructing material comprises a number of separate members 91 with a shape matching corresponding compartments 93 of the spacer structure 92. Just like previous embodiments, the device 20 is further mounted to a door or a window and the device comprises a mounting plate 24, mounted to the inside of the door or the window, from which fastening means 25, are attached by e.g. hidden threading 25a, to that side of the protective element 21a directed towards the door or the window. A front plate 27 is attached to the protective element 21a, just like described in previous embodiments.

Figs 10 and 11 show different exploded views of the device 20 according to the third embodiment, to be mounted to a door or a window 23. Fig. 10 is a view from the outside of the door or the window 23 and Fig. 11 is a view from the inside. Figs 12 and 13 show different views of the device 20, mounted to a door or a window 23. Fig. 12 is a view from the outside of the door or the window 23 and Fig. 13 is a view from the inside.

In an embodiment according to Fig. 12, the device 20 comprises a light source 120 for lighting an area around the key hole and/or an area around the handle. The light source 120 may be any kind of light source well known to a person skilled in the art, such as one or more diodes. The space between the protective elements 21a, 21b may comprise a power source and electrical circuitry needed to operate the light source, as will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art. The front plate 27 may comprise one or more holes for the light source. The lock, including the lock cylinder, is totally protected by the device 20 from the outside of the door 23, since the opening 31 is so shaped that only a key is permitted to come into contact with the lock.

An advantage with this is that the light source may guide the way to the key hole.

Fig. 14 shows a front view of the spacer structure 92 according to previous embodiments. The breakthrough obstructing material, such as a number of separate members 91 of breakthrough obstructing material, may have a shape matching corresponding compartments 93 of the spacer structure 92.

An advantage with this is that the spacer structure 92 will securely hold the breakthrough obstructing material, such as in the form of separate members 91, in place. In an embodiment, the device comprises means for electronically operating the lock (not shown), well known to a person skilled in the art. The space between the protective elements 21a, 21b may comprise a power source and electrical circuitry needed to operate the lock, as will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art. The front plate 27 may be completely smooth, since there is no need for a key hole. An advantage with this is that the means for electronically operating the lock are covered and protected by the device.

Finally, although the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein. Rather, the invention is limited only by the accompanying claims and, other embodiments than the specific above are equally possible within the scope of these appended claims. The device has at least two protective elements, delimiting a space between them, but there may be more intermediate protective elements and spaces so that a kind of lamina or sandwich design is formed.

Claims

1. A device for protection against manipulation of a lock, characterized in that the device comprises two protective elements, mutually attached so that a space is formed between said protective elements, which space comprises a breakthrough obstructing material.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the protective elements are separated by a spacer structure with compartments for receiving said breakthrough obstructing material.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein said breakthrough obstructing material comprises a number of separate members with a shape matching corresponding compartments of the spacer structure.

4. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein one of said protective elements is a plate made of any of the metals in the group steel, stainless steel, aluminum or manganese.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein both protective elements are plates of any of said metals.

6. A device according to claim 1, wherein the breakthrough obstructing material comprises a number of pellets.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein pellets are made of any of the metals in the group steel, nickel or manganese.

8. A device according to any of claims 6 and 7, wherein pellets are made of any material chosen from the group stone, casted mineral based material, cemented carbide or cement based material.

9. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the breakthrough obstructing material comprises a fire protecting material.

10. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the breakthrough obstructing material comprises stone.

11. A device according to claims 10, wherein the stone is chosen from the group granite, gneiss, or shale.

12. A device according to any of the above claims, wherein the breakthrough obstructing material comprises casted mineral based material.

13. A device according to claim 12, wherein the casted mineral based material is chosen from the group cast marble, ceramic granite, cemented carbide or cement based material.

14. A device according to claim 1, wherein the breakthrough obstructing material comprises a metal plate.

15. A device according to claim 1, wherein the breakthrough obstructing material comprises a plastic material.

16. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lock is mounted in a door at a door frame and comprises a lock bolt, characterized in that the device covers the slit between the door and the door frame, at the position of the lock bolt.

17. A device according to claim 16, wherein the device is mounted to the door and comprises a mounting plate mounted to the inside of the door, from which fastening means are attached by hidden threading to that side of the device, directed towards the door.

18. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lock comprises a lock cylinder, characterized in that the device fully or partly surrounds the lock cylinder.

19. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device comprises at least one light source for lighting an area around a key hole and/or an area around a handle.

20. A device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the device comprises means for electronically operating the lock.