Cover for a milled recess, formed in a door frame, for accommodating a locking bolt of a door lock

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cover for a milled recess, formed in a door frame, for accommodating a locking bolt of a door lock. The milled cover comprises: a housing having an opening for a locking bolt; and a sensor board which is attached to the housing and has a contactless sensor for detecting a locking bolt that engages into the housing through the opening.

Description

[0001] Cover for a milled recess formed in a door frame to accommodate a locking bolt of a door lock

[0002] The present invention relates to a cover by means of which a milled recess in a door frame can be covered, which serves to accommodate the locking bolt of a door lock.

[0003] Such milled covers are generally known and are usually formed by a type of housing in the form of a trough-like receptacle, which is inserted through the locking bolt opening of a strike plate to be attached to the door frame into the milled recess in the door frame, thus concealing the milled recess for aesthetic reasons. The housing of the milled cover has an opening corresponding to the locking bolt opening of the strike plate, through which the locking bolt of the door lock can be inserted into the interior of the housing of the milled cover.

[0004] It is generally desirable to have knowledge of the locked state of a door lock, regardless of whether it is operated purely mechanically or electromechanically, for example by means of an electric motor. For example, it is generally not possible to tell from the outside whether the locking bolt of the door lock has actually been properly extended. In the case of purely mechanically operated door locks, this often leads to the door lock being deliberately unlocked again and then locked again. The same applies to electromechanically operated door locks. In the worst case scenario, a person who had intended to lock a door lock has already moved so far away from the door that it is impossible for them to verify that the door lock has been properly locked in the manner described above, leaving them with the unpleasant feeling that they may not have locked the door lock properly after all.

[0005] Another application where the locking status of a door lock, especially that of a front door, is of interest is the integration of a door lock into a property's alarm system. Here, the associated burglar alarm control panel also requires precise knowledge of the door lock's locking status, as the alarm system can usually only be armed when the door lock's locking bolt is properly locked, i.e., retracted into the recess in the door frame.

[0006] The invention is therefore based on the object of specifying an implementation which makes it possible to provide information about the specific locking state of a door lock with little effort.

[0007] This object is achieved with a cover having the features of claim 1, and in particular by attaching a sensor board to the housing of the milling cover. The board is equipped with a contactless sensor, such as a capacitive, inductive, or optical proximity sensor, so that the sensor can detect the presence of a locking bar engaging through the opening in the housing of the milling cover. This information regarding the presence of a locking bar in the housing of the milling cover can then be transmitted wired or wirelessly to a downstream unit, such as a control center of an alarm system.Likewise, the presence of a locking bolt in the housing of the milling cover, detected by the sensor, can be forwarded, for example, to a WLAN router, which can then transmit this information directly or via the Internet to an app on a user's smartphone, so that the user is always aware of the locking status of the door lock.

[0008] In the following, specific embodiments of the invention will be discussed, whereby further embodiments may also arise from the dependent claims, the description of the figures and the figures themselves.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the sensor board may comprise a transmitting device, such as a wireless transmitter, by means of which the information detected by the sensor regarding the presence of a locking bar in the cover housing can be forwarded to a reporting point. Preferably, the sensor board may comprise processing electronics coupled to the sensor and the transmitting device for processing the information detected by the sensor for transmission by the transmitting device.

[0010] Alternatively, the previously mentioned electronic components - transmitting device and / or processing electronics - can also be provided separately from the sensor board, for example on the back of the strike plate.

[0011] However, providing the electronic components in question together with the sensor on the sensor board offers the advantage that the sensor or sensor board does not have to be electrically coupled to the electronic components in question during the assembly of the cover on the strike plate. Although the sensor board and in particular the electronic components located thereon can be supplied with electrical energy from an external energy source, according to a preferred embodiment, it can be provided that a battery, in particular a type AA or AAA battery or a button cell battery, is provided on the sensor board in order to be able to supply the electronic components of the sensor board with electrical energy. For example, the sensor board can carry a clamp carrier for receiving a battery so that a depleted battery can be replaced with a new one.In particular, if the sensor board carries not only the sensor but also the other electronic components and a battery to power them, the cover equipped with the sensor board is capable of operating independently in order to be able to transmit locking bar information detected by the sensor, for example, to a downstream reporting point.

[0012] As already explained at the beginning, the cover comprises a housing with an opening through which the locking bolt of a door lock can be inserted into the housing. In order to completely cover the milled recess in a door frame for aesthetic reasons, the housing comprises a bottom wall opposite the opening for the locking bolt, as well as pairs of opposing side walls that extend from the bottom wall to the opening and at least partially delimit it.

[0013] The housing of the milling cover is thus essentially a trough-like receptacle which can be inserted into a striking plate with its base wall facing forward through the locking bolt opening. The sensor board can be attached to the base wall or to one of the side walls, so that the sensor board does not need to be separately installed after the housing has been mounted on the striking plate. As explained in more detail below, the sensor board can be located outside or inside the housing of the milling cover. If the sensor board is located outside the housing, one embodiment can provide for the side wall to which the sensor board is attached to be able to be pivoted into the interior of the housing in order to gain access to the battery through the opening in the housing for changing the battery.For example, the side wall can be attached to an adjacent side wall or to the bottom wall of the housing by means of a film hinge, so that the side wall to which the sensor board is attached can be pivoted into the interior of the housing either about an axis running perpendicular or parallel to the bottom wall.

[0014] In particular, if the sensor board is attached to the side wall in such a way that the electronic components located on the sensor board are on the side of the sensor board opposite the side wall, a further embodiment can provide for the side wall to which the sensor board is attached to have a receiving compartment for the board that can be pivoted together with the side wall and is formed by a protective wall that can be pivoted together with the side wall. The sensor board is thus located between the pivotable side wall and the protective wall that can be pivoted together with the side wall, so that the electronic components located on the sensor board are protected from external mechanical influences. The protective wall can also be used to attach the housing to a strike plate, as will be explained in more detail below.

[0015] As an alternative to the previously described embodiment with a pivotable side wall, an opening can be formed in the side wall to which the sensor board is attached, through which the battery attached to the detachable sensor board extends at least partially to supply power to the electronic components. Although the sensor board is located outside the housing of the cover, the opening formed in the side wall thus allows access to the sensor board and, in particular, to the battery, so that it can be replaced with a new one if necessary.

[0016] If, contrary to the previously described embodiments, the sensor board is located inside the housing, then according to a further embodiment it can be provided that the battery, including the terminal carrier for holding the battery, unlike the sensor board, is not located inside but outside the housing. In order to still be able to supply the electronic components on the sensor board with power from the battery, at least one contact feedthrough opening can be provided in the housing through which the sensor board can be electrically connected to the battery for the power supply. For reasons of space, it can be particularly suitable for the sensor board to be fastened inside the housing either to the bottom wall or to one of the side walls, whereas the battery, including its terminal carrier, is fastened outside the housing to its bottom wall.

[0017] To attach the cover to a strike plate, the housing opening through which the locking bolt of a door lock can be inserted into the housing can be surrounded by a collar-like flange, which, when the cover is installed, rests on the edge of the locking bolt opening of the strike plate. The cover housing can thus be pushed through the locking bolt opening of the strike plate into the milled recess in the door frame until the collar-like flange rests against the edge of the locking bolt opening.

[0018] In order to prevent the housing inserted into the locking bolt opening of the striking plate from becoming detached from the locking bolt opening again, a further embodiment can provide for at least one spring catch to be formed on at least one side wall, preferably on two opposite side walls of the housing, which engages behind the edge of the locking bolt opening of the striking plate in the assembled state.

[0019] If one or more spring catches are only formed on one side wall, the previously mentioned protective wall can, to a certain extent, take on the function of a spring catch in order to be able to fasten the cover housing to a striking plate. If the upper free end of such a protective wall is at the same height as the free end of the spring catches on the opposite side wall, the upper free end of such a protective wall can engage behind the striking plate in a similar way to the spring catches on the opposite side wall in order to be able to secure the cover housing captively to a striking plate. If it is mentioned here that the upper free end of the protective wall is at the same height as the free end of the spring catches, this means that the protective wall has a free end that extends in a plane parallel to the base wall in which the free end of the spring catches lies.

[0020] In the following, the invention will now be explained with reference to the figures using several embodiments, wherein:

[0021] Fig. 1 shows an arrangement of a strike plate with a milling cover mounted therein including a door lock in perspective view;

[0022] Fig. 2 shows a first embodiment of a cover according to the invention in two different configurations in perspective; Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of a cover according to the invention in perspective;

[0023] Fig. 4 shows a third embodiment of a cover according to the invention in a perspective exploded view; and

[0024] Fig. 5 shows a fourth embodiment of a cover according to the invention in a perspective exploded view.

[0025] Fig. 1 shows a partially sectioned view of a strike plate 10, which is attached to a door frame 12, shown only schematically here. The strike plate 10 typically has, among other features, a locking bolt opening 14 into which the locking bolt 16 of a door lock (not shown here) can be inserted to lock the door in which the door lock is located.

[0026] In the locked position, the locking bolt 16 extends into a milled recess 18 formed in the door frame 12, which recess can usually be covered by a milled cover for aesthetic reasons. In the embodiment shown here in Fig. 1, the milled recess 18 is covered by a cover 20 according to the invention, which cover comprises a housing 22 with an opening 24 through which the locking bolt 16 can be inserted into the interior of the housing 22 of the cover 20. The housing 22 of the cover 20 is fastened to the striking plate 10, wherein the housing 22 extends through the locking bolt opening 14 into the milled recess 18 in order to line the same for aesthetic reasons. The cover 20 shown in Fig. 1 corresponds to the cover 20 described below with reference to Fig. 5. The following will now be described with reference to Fig.2, a first embodiment of a cover 20 according to the invention is described, which can be inserted into the locking bolt opening 14 of the striking plate 10 of FIG. 1. As can be seen in particular from the right-hand illustration of FIG. 2, the housing 22 of the cover 20 shown has a substantially rectangular bottom wall 26 and four pairs of opposite side walls 28, which extend from the bottom wall 26 to the housing opening 24. In other words, the housing opening 24 is delimited by the free ends of the four side walls 28. Furthermore, the housing opening 24 is surrounded by a collar 30 or a collar-like flange 30, which, according to the illustration in FIG. 1, comes into contact with the surface of the striking plate 10 when the cover 20 is installed.

[0027] In order to be able to secure the housing 22 of the cover 20, which is inserted into the locking bolt opening 14 of the striking plate 10, in a captive manner in the locking bolt opening 14, two spring catches 32 are formed on one of the two long side walls 28, which, when the cover 20 is mounted on the striking plate 10, engage behind the latter and thereby come into contact with the back of the locking bolt 10.

[0028] As can further be seen in particular from the left-hand illustration of Fig. 2, the side wall 28 which is opposite the side wall 28 with the spring catches 32 formed thereon can be pivoted into the interior of the housing 22, starting from the right-hand illustration of Fig. 2. The pivotable side wall 28 in question is fastened or hinged to the adjacent, shorter side wall 28 via a film hinge 34, so that the pivotable side wall 28 in question can be pivoted into the interior of the housing 22 about an axis running perpendicular to the base wall 26. Alternatively, however, it would also be possible to fasten the pivotable side wall 28 to the base wall 26 by means of a film hinge, so that the side wall 28 can be pivoted about an axis which corresponds to a straight line along which the pivotable side wall 28 and the base wall 26 intersect.

[0029] As can also be seen from the left-hand illustration of Fig. 2, a sensor board 36 is fastened to the outside of the pivotable side wall 28. This sensor board carries a contactless sensor 38 (not visible here, however, see Fig. 4) by means of which it can be checked whether or not a locking bar 16 engages the interior of the housing 22. Even if this is also not visible here, the sensor board 36 also carries a transmitting device 40 (also see Fig. 4), such as a wireless transmitter, by means of which the information detected by the sensor 38 can be wirelessly transmitted to a downstream reporting center. Also not shown is processing electronics 42 carried by the sensor board 36 (also see Fig. 4), by means of which the locking bar information detected by the sensor 38 is processed for transmission by the transmitting device.

[0030] As can be further seen from Fig. 2 and particularly the left-hand illustration, the sensor board 36 further carries a battery 44 in the form of a button cell, which is releasably attached to the sensor board 36 by means of a clamp carrier 46. The battery 44 serves to supply power to the individual electronic components of the sensor board, in particular to supply power to the sensor 38, the processing electronics 42, and the transmitting device 40.

[0031] In order to replace a depleted battery 44 with a new one, the side wall 28, to which the sensor board 36 is attached on the outside, can be pivoted into the interior of the housing 22 in the manner described above, as shown on the left in Fig. 2. In this position, an operator has free access to the battery 44 in order to pull it out of the clamp carrier 46 and replace it with a new one. In contrast, in the right-hand illustration of Fig. 2, the battery 44 is located outside the housing 22 and thus behind the locking plate 10, and is thus concealed by the locking plate, which prevents access to the battery 44.

[0032] As already explained above, two spring catches 32 for fastening the housing 22 of the cover 20 to a striking plate 10 are formed on the side wall opposite the pivotable side wall 28. However, since in the embodiment of Fig. 2 the sensor board is located outside the housing 22 and in particular is fastened to the outside of the pivotable side wall 28, corresponding spring catches on the pivotable side wall 26 would be covered by the sensor board 36. In order to nevertheless be able to reliably secure the housing 22 to a striking plate 10, a protective wall 48 extends from the pivotable side wall 28 and, together with the pivotable side wall 28, forms a receiving compartment 50 for the sensor board 36.The upper free end of the protective wall 48 is located at the same height as the free end of the spring catches 32, so that the upper free end 52 of the protective wall 48 in question can engage behind the striking plate 10 in a corresponding manner to the spring catches 32, in order to be able to secure the housing 22 of the cover 20 to the striking plate 10 in a captive manner.

[0033] For the sake of completeness, it should be noted at this point that in the narrow side wall 28, which lies opposite the narrow side wall 28 to which the pivotable, long side wall 28 is hinged by means of a film hinge 34, a latching opening 54 is formed (see the left-hand illustration in Fig. 2), into which latching opening 54 a spring latch (not visible) formed on the free end of the pivotable side wall 28 engages in the right-hand illustration in Fig. 2, so as to hold the pivotable side wall 28 in place. In the following, with reference to Fig. 3, a further embodiment of a cover 20 according to the invention will be described, the housing 22 of which largely corresponds to the housing 22 in Fig. 2 except for the differences described below. In contrast to the housing 22 previously described with reference to Fig. 2, the housing 22 in Fig.3 all side walls 28 are designed to be fixed, with two spring catches 32 being formed on each of the two long, opposite side walls 28 for fastening the housing 22 to a striking plate 10.

[0034] A further difference is that a substantially round opening 56 is formed on one of the two long side walls 28. Through this opening, an operator has access to a battery 44 in the form of a button cell, which is carried by the sensor board 36 located outside the housing 22, which is essentially identical to the sensor board 36 previously described with reference to the embodiment of Fig. 2. The sensor board 36 is attached to the outside of the long side wall 28, in which the opening 56 is formed, so that a depleted battery can be replaced with a new battery through the opening 56 in question.

[0035] A further difference compared to the embodiment previously described with reference to Fig. 2 is that the housing 22 of Fig. 3 has a housing extension 58. The battery 44 is thus partially located in the housing extension 58, so that, particularly in the case of locking bolts 16 with a relatively large height dimension, it can be ruled out that the locking bolt 16 will collide with the battery 44. The housing extension 58 is located behind the striking plate 10 when the cover 20 is in the assembled state. The collar-like flange 30 thus only extends partially along the free end of the two opposite long side walls 28 and one short side wall 28, whereas in the region of the opening 56 it bridges the distance between the two opposite long side walls 28.

[0036] 2 and 3, in the cover 20 of Fig. 4 the sensor board 36 is located inside the housing 22, which here too is formed by a bottom wall 26 and four pairs of opposite side walls 28 that extend from the bottom wall 26 to the housing opening 24. In the embodiment of Fig. 4 the housing opening 24 is completely surrounded by a collar-like flange 30 for contact with the edge of a locking bolt opening 14 of a striking plate 10. As in the embodiment of Fig. 3, here too two spring catches 32 are formed on each of the two opposite side walls 28 for engaging behind a striking plate 10 in order to be able to fasten the housing 22 to a striking plate 10.

[0037] The sensor board 36, which in the embodiment of Fig. 4 is located inside the housing 22 and is fastened in particular to the bottom wall 26, carries the previously described electronic components - sensor 38, transmitting device 40, processing electronics 42 - whose function and functionality have already been discussed above.

[0038] Although in the embodiment of Fig. 4 the sensor board 36 is located inside the housing 22, the battery 44, which here is a type AA or type AAA battery, is located outside the housing 22, including the associated terminal carrier 46. In order to still be able to supply the individual electronic components 38, 40, 42 of the sensor board 36 with power from the battery 44, two contact feedthrough openings (not shown) are formed in the bottom wall 26, through which the electrical connection pins 60 of the terminal carrier 46 can be passed through the bottom wall 26 in order to be able to be electrically connected to the sensor board 36.

[0039] For the sake of completeness, it should be noted at this point that in the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the sensor board 36 is aligned plane-parallel to the bottom wall 26 and is fastened thereto; however, the sensor board 36 can also be aligned tilted by 90° in order to be fastened to one of the two long side walls 28 inside the housing 22.

[0040] Finally, with reference to Fig. 5, a fourth embodiment is described in which the sensor board 36, including the battery 44, is located outside the housing 22 of the cover 20. The housing 22 of the cover 20 of Fig. 5 essentially corresponds to that of the embodiment of Fig. 4, and the sensor board 36 is also largely identical to that of the embodiment of Fig. 4.

[0041] However, in the embodiment of Fig. 5, the sensor board 36 is attached to the outside of the base wall 26. Furthermore, in the embodiment of Fig. 5, the sensor board 36 supports the battery clamp carrier 46 including the battery 44 accommodated therein, which can also be a type AA or type AAA battery 44.

[0042] In order to avoid the risk of the sensor board 36 being damaged by the edge of the locking bolt opening 14 of a strike plate 10 when the cover 20 is inserted into a milled recess 18, the embodiment of Fig. 5 further provides a trough-like protective cap 62 which can be releasably attached to the housing 22 by means of several locking fingers 64 in order to accommodate the sensor board 36 including the battery 44 and thus protect it from external mechanical influences.

[0043] List of reference symbols

[0044] 10 strike plate

[0045] 12 door frames

[0046] 14 Locking bolt opening

[0047] 16 locking bolts

[0048] 18 Milling recess

[0049] 20 Cover

[0050] 22 housings

[0051] 24 Opening

[0052] 26 Floor wall

[0053] 28 side walls

[0054] 30 collars

[0055] 32 spring catches

[0056] 34 film hinge

[0057] 36 Sensor board

[0058] 38 Sensor

[0059] 40 transmitting device

[0060] 42 Processing electronics

[0061] 44 Battery

[0062] 46 clamp carriers

[0063] 48 protective wall

[0064] 50 storage compartment

[0065] 52 upper free end of 48

[0066] 54 locking opening

[0067] 56 Breakthrough

[0068] 58 Housing extension

[0069] 60 connection pins

[0070] 62 protective cap

[0071] 64 locking fingers

Claims

Claims 1. Cover (20) for a milled recess (18) formed in a door frame (12) for receiving a locking bolt (16) of a door lock, wherein the milled cover (20) comprises a housing (22) with an opening (24) for a locking bolt (16) and a sensor board (36) fastened to the housing (22) with a contactless sensor (38) for detecting a locking bolt (16) engaging through the opening (24) into the housing (22).

2. Cover (20) according to claim 1, wherein the sensor board (36) comprises a transmitting device (40), in particular a wireless transmitter, for transmitting information detected by the sensor (38) to a reporting point, wherein it is provided in particular that the sensor board (36) has processing electronics (42) coupled to the sensor (38) and the transmitting device (40) for processing the information detected by the sensor (38) for transmission by the transmitting device (40).

3. Cover (20) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a battery (44), in particular a battery (44) of type AA or AAA or a button cell battery, is detachably attached to the sensor board (36) for supplying energy to electronic components of the sensor board (36), in particular for supplying current to the sensor (38), the processing electronics (42) and / or the transmitting device (40).

4. Cover (20) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (22) comprises a bottom wall (26) opposite its opening (24) for a locking bolt (16) and pairs of opposite side walls (28) which extend from the bottom wall (26) to the opening (24) and delimit it at least in regions, wherein the sensor board (36) is fastened to the bottom wall (26) or to one of the side walls (28).

5. Cover (20) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensor board (36) is located outside the housing (22).

6. Cover (20) according to claim 5, wherein the side wall (28) to which the sensor board (36) is fastened is pivotable into the interior of the housing (22) for replacing the battery (44), in particular about an axis running perpendicular to the bottom wall (26).

7. Cover (20) according to claim 6, wherein the sensor board (36) is located between the pivotable side wall (28) and a protective wall (48) pivotable together therewith.

8. Cover (20) according to claim 5, wherein in the side wall (28) to which the sensor board (36) is fastened, an opening (56) is formed through which a battery (44) releasably fastened to the sensor board (36) extends at least partially for supplying current to the sensor (38).

9. Cover (20) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sensor board (36) is located within the housing (22).

10. Cover (20) according to claim 9, wherein a battery (44) for supplying current to the sensor (38) is located outside the housing (22), wherein the battery (44) is electrically connected to the sensor board (36) through at least one contact feedthrough opening formed in the housing (22).

11. Cover (20) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the opening (24) of the housing (22) for the locking bolt (16) is at least partially surrounded by a collar (30) for engagement with an edge of a locking bolt opening (14) of a strike plate (10).

12. Cover (20) according to one of claims 4 to 11, wherein for fastening the cover (20) to a locking plate (10) on at least one side wall (28), preferably on two opposite side walls (28), at least one spring catch (32) is formed in each case for engaging behind a locking bolt opening (14) of the locking plate (10).

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