Retractable locking device for pivoting and sliding panels of enclosures, and enclosures that incorporates said device

Abstract

The present invention refers to a retractable locking device (1) for pivoting and sliding panels of enclosures. The device comprises: a main body (2) with a housing (3) for receiving a pivoting element (5) of an enclosure panel (6) and with a straight channel (4) passing transversely through the main body (2), a locking element (7) and an actuating mechanism (8) for activating the locking element (7) for producing the axial displacement thereof along said orthogonal axis (Z). The actuating mechanism (8) is configured to move between two stable positions, an upper stable position in which it positions the locking element (7) in the straight channel (4) blocking passage therethrough, and a lower stable position in which it positions the blocking element (7) outside the straight channel (4), freeing the passage therethrough.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention generally refers to sliding glass panel enclosure systems.

[0002] An object of the invention is to provide a locking device or mechanism for pivoting and sliding panels, which is easy to use to allow a pivoting panel to slide along an enclosure system or block the pivoting panel, and enabling the pivoting panel to also be used as a door panel.PRIOR ART

[0003] Enclosure systems that use glass panels or materials with similar mechanical characteristics are usually made up mainly of a set of panels supported and guided by upper and lower rails, which are mounted on the ceiling and floor of the room that needs to be enclosed.

[0004] On the market there are enclosure systems with panels that slide along the rails then stack, and all end up stored at one end or divided at both ends of said rails. In these systems there is a panel called door, which can be opened and closed by rotating on a virtual fixed axis that joins the upper and lower rails, and therefore, cannot slide along the section.

[0005] Therefore, in these systems the door is always relegated to one of the ends of the sections, since the door cannot slide along the rails, if the door is not located at one of these ends, it could hinder the passage of the panels and they would not be stacked conveniently.

[0006] The Spanish patent application ES2324273 A1 describes one of these enclosure systems with independent panels that move guided by an upper and a lower rail. The weight of each of the panels is distributed uniformly and longitudinally along the lower rail, so the upper rail only serves as a guide. Each panel can be moved individually.

[0007] In addition to the independent panels, the enclosure system has a door, which is the last panel and does not move longitudinally from the stacking area.

[0008] How these doors work is described in detail in the Spanish utility model ES1149237 U.

[0009] Spanish utility model ES1156759 U describes a closure device for enclosure panels that allows the panel to function as both a door panel and a sliding panel.DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The invention relates to a retractable locking device for pivoting and sliding enclosure panels, which can adopt two operational positions, a locking position in which it allows an enclosure panel or door panel to rotate, but prevents it from sliding, and a retracted position in which it allows the enclosure panel or door panel to slide along a track.

[0011] The retractable device comprises a main body with a housing for receiving an axis of an enclosure panel allowing it to pivot within the housing, and with a straight channel passing transversely through the housing, through which the pivoting element on the panel can slide, when the device is retracted.

[0012] The device further comprises a locking element mounted on the main body and capable of movement along an axis orthogonal to the straight channel.

[0013] The device also comprises an actuating mechanism of the locking element, for producing the axial movement thereof along said orthogonal axis. The actuating mechanism is bistable, which means that it is configured to transition between two stable positions in which it remains fixed, namely an upper stable position in which it positions the locking element in the straight channel, blocking passage through the channel, and a lower stable position in which it is retracted and positions the locking element outside of the channel, preferably under the channel, freeing the passage of the panels' rotation axes through it.

[0014] In the upper stable position in which the locking element closes the passage through the straight channel, a panel of an enclosure is allowed to pivot by its axis mounted in the main body, while in the lower stable position in which the locking mechanism allows passage through the channel, the enclosure panel can slide guided by its axis freely along the channel.

[0015] The locking element further comprises a rear inclined plane to activate the actuating mechanism of the locking element, allowing the locking element to move to its lower position in the event that the user does not follow the instructions for use, thus preventing breakage of parts.

[0016] The housing of the main body has a lateral surface and a base, and the locking element has a surface that provides continuity to the lateral surface of the housing when the locking element is in its upper position, to prevent the movement of the axis of a panel through the channel.

[0017] The actuating mechanism is configured to reversibly transition between two stable positions thereof, by pressing it in an axial direction. For this purpose, the actuating mechanism is located under the locking element, this way it can be pressed through the locking element, in other words, by the user pressings the locking element, either manually or with a tool.

[0018] The locking element has: a cylindrical body arranged coaxially with the orthogonal axis in which it is movable, a prismatic body located on one side of the cylindrical body, and a platform that joins the cylindrical body to the prismatic body.

[0019] The actuating mechanism is formed by: a tubular bushing open at its upper part thereof, a rotor housed inside the bushing, a spring arranged axially inside the bushing, where the spring rests at one end on the lower base of the bushing, and at the other end rests on the rotor, so that the rotor moves towards the base of the bushing away from the main body against the action of the spring, and the spring presses the rotor upwards against the locking element.

[0020] The bushing and the rotor are configured so that, in an upper section of the bushing, the rotor slides axially on an inner surface of the bushing in a guided manner and the rotation of the rotor with respect to the bushing is prevented, and in a lower section of the bushing, the rotor can rotate. The bushing and the rotor are configured so that in an angular position of the rotor in that lower section, the rotor is engaged with the bushing, preventing its upward movement, thus defining the lower stable position of the actuating mechanism. This, in turn, causes the locking element to move to its upper position, to limit the movement of the pivoting element of the panel, which can only perform axial movements, this means it cannot move in a X axis parallel to the straight channel.

[0021] In the upper section of the bushing, the bushing has on its internal surface two or more straight channels arranged in an axial direction parallel to the axis of the bushing. Furthermore, the rotor has radial walls, each of them is housed in a channel when the rotor is in the upper section of the bushing, for guiding the movement of the rotor in that upper section and preventing the rotation of the rotor.

[0022] Furthermore, in the upper section of the bushing, the busing has on its internal surfaces ramps separated from each other, and a corner at the highest part of each ramp.

[0023] In turn, the rotor has ramps configured in such a way that they can slide in contact with a surface of the ramps inside the cylindrical bushing, such that in an angular position of the rotor, when the rotor is in the lower section, the rotor is locked in the corners, thereby defining the lower stable position of the actuating mechanism, while in another angular position the rotor can move axially passing through the spaces between the straight channels between the ramps of the bushing, pushed by the spring to an upper stable position of the actuating mechanism.

[0024] The rotor ramps are formed in the upper part of its radial walls, and the cylindrical body of the locking element has, on its lower edge, triangular merlons arranged so that when they come into contact with the rotor ramps, they rotate the rotor when it is in the lower section of the bushing.

[0025] The bushing has a window, and the platform of the locking element passes through the window and can move along it.

[0026] Preferably, the device has a closure cap for the bushing, which is detachably couplable to the lower end of the bushing, in such a way that the lower base of the bushing is supported by the base of said cap. The cap of the bushing holds and centers the spring to ensure the proper operation of the actuating mechanism.

[0027] The invention also refers to an enclosure that incorporates the retractable locking device defined above.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] To complete the description and to facilitate a better understanding of the invention, a set of drawings is provided. These drawings form an integral part of the description and illustrate embodiments of the invention, which should not be construed as restricting the scope of the invention, but only as examples of how the invention can be carried out. The drawings include the following figures: Figure 1.- shows three exploded views of the device: in Figure 1A in perspective from above, in Figure 1B in side elevation, and in Figure 1C in perspective from below. Figure 2.- shows several views of the device with the assembled parts and in the locking position. Figure 2A is a side elevation view, Figure 2B is a top plan view, and Figure 2C is a perspective view. Figure 3.- shows lower perspective views of the device, in Figure 3A in the retracted position, and in Figure 3B in the locked position. Figure 4.- shows in Figure 4A a perspective view from below of the bushing, and in Figure 4B a bottom view of the same component. Figure 5.- shows in Figure 5A side elevation view of the device installed in an enclosure rail and in the locking position, and in Figure 5B part of the device in the locking position. Some components have been drawn transparent to show the internal functionality of the device. Figure 6.- Figure 6A shows a side elevation view of the device installed in an enclosure rail in the retracted position, and in Figure 6B part of the device in the same retracted position. Some components have been drawn transparent to show the internal functionality of the device. PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Figures 1 A - 1C show a preferred embodiment of a retractable device (1) according to the invention, which comprises a main body (2) with a generally rectangular prism shape, which has a housing (3), preferably having circular shape, for receiving the pivoting element (5) of an enclosure panel (6) allowing it to pivot within the housing (3) as seen in Figure 5A.

[0030] The main body (2) also has a straight channel (4) that extends longitudinally, and is passing transversely through the housing (3), through which the pivoting element (5) can slide along the channel when the device is in the retracted position as shown in Figure 6A .

[0031] The channel (4) of the main body (2) has a finite length, ending in a semicircular stop (29) so that a protruding circular part (30), which can be seen in Figure 5a, of the pivoting element (5) is positioned just in the center of the housing (3) as shown in Figure 2B .

[0032] The device (1) also has a locking element (7) mounted on the main body (2) and is capable of moving along an axis (Z) orthogonal to the straight channel (4), as best seen in Figure 1B , and an actuating mechanism (8) of the locking element (7), which can be seen in Figure 2C, to produce the axial displacement thereof along said orthogonal axis (Z), as will be described later.

[0033] In practice, the main body (2) is fixed, for example by means of screws (18), on a lower rail (9) which is mounted on the floor where the enclosure, called a glass curtain, will be installed, as shown in Figures 5A and 6A.

[0034] The locking element (7) has a cylindrical body (7a), as can be seen in Figure 1C arranged coaxially with the orthogonal axis (Z) in which it is movable, a generally prismatic body (7b) located on one side of the cylindrical body (7a), and a platform (7c) with grooves (7f) to indicate the activation zone and to facilitate the use of a pressing tool, which joins the cylindrical body to the prismatic body and which has a flat upper surface. The locking element (7) may include a small ramp (7e) to make the actuating mechanism (8) move downwards to its lower stable position upon collision of the lower part of the pivoting element (5) with the locking element (7). The cylindrical body (7a) has inclined surfaces, specifically formed on its lower edge where a series of triangular merlons (19) are located.

[0035] The locking element (7) also has two arms (7d) parallel to each other, which are housed and can slide in complementary grooves (10), existing on the main body (2), to guide the vertical movement of the locking element (7) following the axis (Z).

[0036] Furthermore, the locking element (7), specifically the prismatic body (7b), has a surface (23), which is flush with the lateral surface of the housing (3) when the locking element (7) is in its upper position, as best seen in Figure 2B. In this case, the surface (23) is concave to follow the curvature of the circular housing (3), forming a completely closed circumference concentric with the axis of the pivoting element (5) of a panel (6).

[0037] The locking element (7) has a stopper (24) at the lower level of the surface (23), which contacts the lower base (2a) of the main body (2), and thus delimits the path of the locking element (7) in the ascending direction, as best seen in Figure 3B.

[0038] The actuating mechanism (8) is configured to move between two stable positions, an upper stable position, which corresponds to the locking position of the device, as shown for example in Figures 2C, 3B, 6B and in which it positions the blocking element (7) in the straight channel (4) blocking the passage through the channel, and a lower stable position, which corresponds to the retracted position of the device as shown for example in Figures 3A, 6A, 6B in which the blocking element (7) is positioned below the straight channel (4) freeing the passage through it.

[0039] The actuating mechanism (8) is configured to reversibly transition between its two stable positions, by pressing it in an axial direction, for which the actuating mechanism (8) can be pressed through the locking element (7), that is, by pressing the locking element (7), either manually or with a tool.

[0040] In particular, the actuating mechanism (8) has a bushing (11) which is a tubular body with a generally cylindrical internal surface, and which is open at the top, to receive the locking element (7). In the embodiment shown in the figures, the bushing (11) is closed from below by a closing cap (13), so that the base (12) of the cap (13) also forms the base of the bushing (11) supporting one of the ends of the spring (17).

[0041] The coupling between the bushing (11) and the base (12) is removable, and is carried out by means of a pair of pins (14) protrude from the external face of the bushing (11), and some sloped channels (15) that end in a "T" shape, within which the pins (14) can slide and stay in a blocked position within the "T" shape, as can be seen, for example, in Figure 2A.

[0042] Thanks to the cap (13) and the way it is attached to the bushing (11), the installation of the actuating mechanism (8) in the main body (2) is very simple and quick.

[0043] The bushing (11) is housed in an opening (20) of the main body (2) in an orthogonal direction to the channel (4), and emerges through the lower base (2a) of the main body (2). This opening (20) also has a shape in which the prismatic body (7b) of the blocking element (7) is housed and its movement is allowed, as can be seen in Figures 1A and 1C.

[0044] The bushing (11) has ledges (21) that are stationed in recesses in the main body (2), thus, remaining flush with its upper surface, and to which it is secured using screws (22).

[0045] The bushing (11) has a window (11a), which can be seen in Figure 1C, for the passage and movement of the platform (7c) of the blocking element (7), as can be seen better in Figure 6B.

[0046] As can be seen in Figure 1B, the actuating mechanism (8) also has a rotor (16) housed inside the bushing (11), and a spring (17) arranged axially inside the rotor (16), meaning the spring rests at one end on the lower base (12) of the bushing (11), and at the other end it rests inside the rotor (16), so that the rotor (16) moves due to the force produced by the spring (17), when it moves towards the base (12) of the bushing (11) away from the main body (2), and so that the spring (17) pushes the rotor (16) upwards against the locking element (7).

[0047] The rotor (16) has three walls (16a, 16b, 16c) that extend radially, spaced at equal intervals from each other, and each of them has angled surfaces (16d, 16e, 16f) on their upper base, these surfaces are angled in the same direction and can be seen in Figures 1A and 1B.

[0048] The bushing (11) has segmented curved walls (26) on an upper section of its inner surface. In the spaces between the curved walls (26), three channels (25) are formed, arranged in an axial direction parallel to the axis (Z), and separated evenly, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B.

[0049] In a lower section of the inner surface of the bushing (11), these curved walls (26) respectively form three ramps (27) that culminate in their highest part in respective corners (28). The three ramps (27) are complementary to the angled surfaces (16d, 16e, 16f) of the rotor, so they can contact and slide against each other.

[0050] The bushing (11) and the rotor (16) are configured so that in an upper section of the bushing, the walls (16a,16b,16c) of the rotor are inside the channels (25) of the bushing (11) as can be seen in Figure 5B, so the rotor (16) moves axially against the inner surface of the bushing in a guided manner and the rotation of the rotor with respect to the bushing is prevented. When moving downwards, the movement of the rotor (16) is driven by the cylindrical body (7a) on the locking element (7).

[0051] When the rotor (16) is in a lower section of the bushing (11) as seen in Figure 6B, in which there are no channels (25), the rotor (16) rotates due to the force of the spring (17) that presses the rotor (16) against the inclined surfaces merlons (19) on the edge of the cylindrical body (7a), which causes the rotor (16) to rotate until it begins to slide against the ramps (27) by means of the angled surfaces (16d, 16e, 16f), until it reaches the corners (28) and upon contacting them, its rotation stops and remains blocked, preventing its upward movement. This position of the rotor defines the stable lower position or the retracted position of the actuating mechanism (8).

[0052] When the locking element (7) is pressed again, it pushes the rotor (16) downwards against the action of the spring (17), such that the rotor (16) descends and leaves the corners (28), as shown in Figure 6B. For this, the angled surfaces (16d, 16e, 16f) are wider than the ramps (27), so that the inclined surfaces (19) on the edge of the cylindrical body (7a) can contact angled surfaces (16d, 16e, 16f).

[0053] Once again, due to the force of the spring (17) that pushes the rotor (16) against the inclined surfaces (19) on the edge of the cylindrical body (7a), the rotor rotates, until its walls (16a, 16b ,16c) line up with the channels (25) of the bushing (11), then rotor (16) moves upwards, driven by the spring (17), simultaneously moving the locking element (7) upwards with it, which rises until the stopper (24) contacts the lower base (2a) of the main body (2), whereupon the device again adopts the locking position as shown in Figures 5 A and 5B.

Claims

1. Retractable locking device (1) for pivoting and sliding enclosure panels, characterized in that the device comprises: a main body (2) with a housing (3) for receiving a pivoting element (5) of an enclosure panel (6) allowing it to pivot within the housing (3), and with a straight channel (4) passing transversely through the main body (2) a locking element (7) mounted on the main body (2) and capable of movement along an axis (Z) orthogonal to the straight channel (4), an actuating mechanism (8) of the locking element (7), for producing axial movement along said orthogonal axis (Z), where the actuating mechanism (8) is configured to move between two stable positions, an upper stable position in which it positions the locking element (7) in the straight channel (4) blocking the passage therethrough, and a lower stable position in which it positions the locking element (7) outside the straight channel (4), freeing the passage therethrough.

2. Retractable locking device for pivoting and sliding enclosure panels according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuating mechanism (8) is configured for reversibly transitioning between its two stable positions, by pressing it in an axial direction, and in that the actuating mechanism (8) is located below a part of the locking element (7), such that the actuating mechanism (8) can be pressed through the locking part (7).

3. Retractable locking device for pivoting and sliding enclosure panels according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the locking element (7) has: a cylindrical body (7a) coaxially arranged with the orthogonal axis (Z) on which it is movable, a prismatic body (7b) located on the opposite side of the cylindrical body (7a), and a platform (7c) that joins the cylindrical body with the prismatic body.

4. Retractable locking device for pivoting and sliding enclosure panels according to claim 3, characterized in that the locking element (7) also has two arms (7d) parallel to each other, which are housed and can slide in complementary grooves (10), existing in the main body (2), to guide the vertical movement of the locking element (7) along the axis (Z).

5. Retractable locking device for pivoting and sliding enclosure panels according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the locking element (7) has a stopper (24) at a lower level, which contacts the lower base (2a) in the opening (20) of the main body (2), and thus delimiting the path of the blocking element (7) in an upward direction.

6. Retractable locking device for pivoting and sliding enclosure panels according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the actuating mechanism (8) has: a tubular bushing (11) with a lower base (12) and an open upper part, a rotor (16) housed inside the tubular bushing (11), a spring (17) arranged axially inside the rotor (16), where the spring (17) rests at one end on the lower base (12) of the bushing (11), and at the other end it rests on the rotor (16), so that the rotor (16) is movable towards the base (12) of the bushing (11) against the action of the spring (17), and so that the spring (17) drives the rotor (16) upwards against the locking element (7), and in that the spring (17) in turn rests on a cap (13), leaving the actuating mechanism (8) locked from below.

7. Retractable locking device for pivoting and sliding enclosure panels according to claim 6, characterized in that the bushing (11) and the rotor (16) are configured so that in an upper section of the bushing (11), the rotor (16) slides axially on an inner surface (25, 26, 27) of the bushing (11) in a guided manner and preventing the rotation of the rotor (16) with respect to the bushing (11), and in a lower section of the bushing (11) the rotor (16) can rotate, and in that the bushing (11) and the rotor (16) are configured so that in an angular position of the rotor (16) in that lower section, the rotor (16) locks into the bushing (11), preventing its upward movement, thus defining the lower stable position of the actuating mechanism (8).

8. Retractable locking device for pivoting and sliding enclosure panels according to claim 7, characterized in that in the upper section of the bushing (11) has on its inner surface two or more straight channels (25) arranged in an axial parallel direction to the axis (Z) of the bushing (11), and in that the rotor has radial walls (16a,16b,16c), each of them is housed in a channel (25) when the rotor (16) is in the upper section of the bushing (11), for guiding the movement of the rotor (16) in that upper section and preventing the rotation of the rotor (16).

9. Retractable locking device for pivoting and sliding enclosure panels according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that in its lower section, the bushing (11) has ramps (27) on its internal surface separated from each other by spaces connected with the straight channels (25), and a corner (28) at the highest part of each ramp (27), and in that s the rotor (16) has angled surfaces (16d, 16e, 16f) configured so that they can slide in contact with the ramps (27) of the bushing (11), and so that in an angular position of the rotor (16) when the rotor is in the lower section, it remains locked in the corners (28) defining the lower stable position of the actuating mechanism, and in another angular position, the rotor (16) can be moved axially through the spaces between ramps of the bushing (11), driven by the spring (17) to an upper stable position of the actuating mechanism (8).

10. Retractable locking device for pivoting and sliding enclosure panels according to claim 9, characterized in that the angled surfaces (16d,16e,16f) on the rotor (11) are formed in the upper part of the walls (16a,16b,16c), and in that the cylindrical body (7a) of the locking element has triangular merlons (19) on the lower edge, arranged so that when contacting the angled surfaces (16d, 16e, 16f) on the rotor (16), they produce rotation thereof when the rotor (16) is in the lower section of the bushing (11).

11. Retractable locking device for pivoting and sliding enclosure panels according to any of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that it has a cap (13) to close the bushing (11), detachably couplable to the lower end of the bushing (11), such that the cap (13) is connectable to the rotor (16) via a spring (17), to transmit the movement from the locking element (7) to the actuating mechanism (8).

12. Retractable locking device for pivoting and sliding enclosure panels according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the housing (3) has a concave lateral surface and a base with a stopper (29), and in that the locking element (7) has a surface (23) that provides continuity to the lateral surface of the housing (3) when the locking element (7) is in its upper position.

13. Retractable locking device for pivoting and sliding enclosure panels according to claim 12, characterized in that the stopper (29) is semicircular so that a protruding circular part (30) of the pivoting element (5) is positioned right in the center of the housing (3) of the main body (2).

14. Retractable panel locking device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the locking element (7) contains a ramp (7e) for activating the actuating mechanism (8) preventing the breakage of the assembly (1) in case the locking element (7) were in its upper locking position and the user moved the panel (6) to the pivot point.

15. Retractable panel locking device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes a cap (13) with one or more sloped channels (15) within which pins (14) of the bushing (11) can slide to allow easy assembly of the assembly (1).

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