Locking deadbolt openable from the inside

Abstract

Object of the present invention is a locking deadbolt (10) openable from the inside, comprising: a base body (15) configured for being fastened onto a door, window or other opening, and provided with a slot (70); a movable bolt (30) designed for permanently locking the opening and configured for moving through the slot (70) between a retracted position and an extracted position; a gear wheel (80) operable from the outside by means of a handle or hand grip (20), configured for transmitting the movement to a rack (82) connected to the bolt (30) in order to move the bolt (30) through the slot (70), wherein the aforesaid deadbolt (10) further comprises a knob (40) located therein and configured for being moved along a path defined by cams (50, 55, 57) present in the base body (15) and wherein its movement along the cam path is transmitted to the bolt (30) to allow the deadbolt (10) to be manually unlocked from the inside. Advantageously, the cam path (50, 55, 57) comprises at least one first section (50) and at least one second section (55, 57), wherein the rack (82) is engaged with the gear wheel (80) in said at least one first section to receive the movement from such gear wheel (80) and the rack (82) is unconstrained from the gear wheel (80) in said at least one second section (55, 57).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention concerns a locking deadbolt openable from the inside.

[0002] In particular, the deadbolt of the present invention is designed for applications for which it is necessary to ensure an immediate and safe way out from inside a closed environment to operators, in the event of an emergency or accidental closing.KNOWN PRIOR ART

[0003] There are many known applications in which it is essential to prevent the risk of accidental entrapment of people inside locked rooms, such as for example in cold storage rooms which are generally subject to extremely low temperatures, and in which it is essential to ensure an immediate and safe way out to operators in the event of accidental entrapment.

[0004] Other application examples can concern emergency doors in closed warehouses or storage depots, inside which the personnel could accidentally be trapped during loading and unloading operations, or access doors to storage rooms or labs with controlled atmospheres or sterile environments where operators enter with personal protective equipment, or closed transport structures, such as refrigerated vans or containers used to transport goods, in which the safety of loading personnel must always be ensured.

[0005] Such doors generally provide for a base body provided with an outer handle and a movable bolt designed to permanently, although reversibly, lock the opening of the door and configured for moving through a slot present in the base body. The bolt is lockable in position by means of a key combined with the aforesaid handle, so as to permanently lock the door.

[0006] Document CN219605092U, in the name of Gaoyou Jingbiao Gear Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (CN), describes an electronically controlled door lock for railway vehicles with a manual operation option in order to prevent issues due to possible power blackouts.

[0007] The lock comprises a lock box, a controller positioned in the lower part of the lock box and a sensor in the upper part of the box.

[0008] Under normal conditions, when the door of the vehicle must be opened, personnel connect the access card to the sensor which transmits the signal to the controller which, in turn, drives a motor integral with a gear wheel which moves a rack by operating a sliding plate and an insertion rod, integral with the plate, which is retracted relative to the door frame.

[0009] In the event the controller or motor operating the gear should malfunction and the lock should stay stuck in the locked position of the door, personnel have the possibility of manually acting on a cursor by displacing a sliding movable block and the movable plate so that the gear wheel is separated from the rack and, due to the return force produced by a specific spring, the sliding plate and the insertion rod are pushed towards the inside of the lock box, thus releasing the opening of the door.

[0010] The known system anyhow has critical issues linked to the force of the spring, since this system is based on the return force generated by a specific spring.

[0011] US 1169659 describes a lock, inside a base body, provided with a movable bolt comprising a rack, an outer hand grip mounted on the same shaft of an inner knob and a gear wheel integral with that shaft. The outer hand grip, the shaft and therefore the inner knob are mounted on the base body so as to slide axially with respect to the latter, so that the gear wheel is movable between a position of engagement and a position of disengagement with / from the rack of the bolt, depending on the position assumed by the knob, the hand grip and therefore the respective shaft. A spring retains the knob, the hand grip and the shaft in an arrangement corresponding to the position of disengagement of the rack from the gear wheel.

[0012] Also in this case, the presence of a spring makes the operation of the lock critical.

[0013] Actually, elastic properties of the springs, although made of high quality materials, undergo natural deterioration due, for example, to the fact that, in contexts such as railway vehicles or in applications such as cold storage rooms, springs may be exposed to adverse environmental conditions, among which extreme temperatures: at low temperatures, the spring's material could stiffen, thus reducing its returning ability, whereas weakening of elastic stress may occur at high temperatures.

[0014] Moreover, constant vibrations typical of moving vehicles, i.e. repeated thermal cycles, may accelerate mechanical degradation of the spring.

[0015] Finally, the lock box, if not properly sealed or protected, could allow dust, metal debris, grease, moisture or other contaminants present in the surrounding environment to enter, thereby comprising the operation of the spring.

[0016] If the force of the spring should be significantly reduced, the manual mechanism may not be able to operate properly, thus preventing or degrading bolt actuation.

[0017] Object of the present invention is to provide a deadbolt which solves the problems of the known art.

[0018] Further object of the invention is to achieve the aforesaid results in a practical and economical way.BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0019] These and further objects are achieved by means of a locking deadbolt openable from the inside, comprising: a base body configured for being fastened onto a door, window or other opening, and provided with a slot; a movable bolt designed for locking the opening and configured for moving through the slot between a retracted position and an extracted position from the slot; a gear wheel operable from the outside by means of a handle, or hand grip, the aforesaid gear wheel being configured for transmitting the movement to a rack connected to the bolt in order to move the bolt through the slot, wherein the aforesaid deadbolt further comprises a knob located on an opposite side of the deadbolt with respect to the handle, or hand grip, and configured for being moved along a path defined by cams present in the base body, wherein the movement of the knob along the cam path is transmitted to the bolt to allow the deadbolt to be manually unlocked from the inside; and wherein the cam path advantageously comprises at least one first section and at least one second section, wherein the rack is engaged with the gear wheel in said at least one first section to receive the movement from that gear wheel and the rack is unconstrained from the gear wheel in said at least one second section so as to not transmit any movement to said rack and thereby achieve the unlocking of the deadbolt from the inside.

[0020] It should be noted that, herein and hereunder, the expression "path defined by cams," or its equivalent expression "cam path", means a shaped guide which, being directly or indirectly coupled to said knob, determines the law of motion and, in particular, the trajectory the knob follows depending on the shape of that cam path.

[0021] An advantage of the present invention is that the movement for opening the deadbolt from the inside does not require springs, therefore preventing the problems of the known art.

[0022] A further advantage of the present invention is that, in the event the bolt is locked in its extracted position for closing the deadbolt, thanks for example to a key mechanism able to reversibly inhibit the rotation of the gear wheel, it is still possible to perform a movement for opening the deadbolt by manually displacing the bolt towards its retracted position.

[0023] Further characteristics of the invention can be deduced from the dependent claims.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0024] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the reading of the following description provided by way of example and without limitations, with the aid of the figures depicted in the accompanying tables, in which: figure 1 shows a locking deadbolt openable from the inside, according to an embodiment of the present invention, provided with a handle and depicted in side view; figure 2 shows a top view of figure 1; figure 3 shows an axonometric view of the locking deadbolt of figure 1; figure 4 shows an axonometric view of the locking deadbolt of figure 1, in which some components were removed to allow the inner mechanisms to be seen; figure 5 shows a side view of the locking deadbolt of figure 1, in which some components were removed to allow the inner mechanisms to be seen; and figure 6 shows a sectional view, according to the section plane A-A of figure 5, of the locking deadbolt of the invention; and figure 7 shows a plan view of the closing wall of the base body enclosing the mechanism of the deadbolt, taken from the side facing that mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0025] The present invention will now be illustrated with initial reference to figure 1, in which a lockable deadbolt openable from the inside, generally denoted by the numerical reference 10, is visible.

[0026] The deadbolt 10 is a mechanical device designed to ensure that doors, windows or other openings are securely closed and locked, but it can also be opened from the inside in the event of an emergency, for example accidental entrapment of an operator.

[0027] The deadbolt 10 comprises a base body 15 which incorporates a bolt (or latch) 30, i.e. a movable element designed for permanently locking the deadbolt 10 onto the door or window to which it is applied and which is configured for coming out of a slot 70 formed in the base body 15.

[0028] The movement of the bolt 30 is controlled by a gear wheel 80 in turn operable from the outside, thanks to a handle 20.

[0029] Alternatively to the handle 20, there may be any other type of hand grip placed on the outside and able to transmit rotary motion to the gear wheel 80.

[0030] The gear wheel 80 acts on a rack 82 integral with the bolt 30 to allow the latter to substantially move horizontally through the slot 70, from a retracted door-unlocking position to an extracted door-locking position, and vice-versa.

[0031] According to known art, the bolt 30 of the deadlock 10 is engaged, by translating, within a seat or abutment combined with a jamb, or frame, of the door or window, or other fixture, in its extracted position and disengages from that seat or abutment in its retracted position.

[0032] The bolt 30 of the deadbolt 10 has, for this purpose, a tapered end 89 for engaging with a seat or abutment combined with a jamb, or frame, of the door or window, or other fixture (figs. 1, 3 or 4).

[0033] Moreover, the bolt 30 comprises a jutting-out pin 85 (figure 4) which is arranged close to the tapered end 89 and which is protruding orthogonally with respect to the translation direction of the same bolt 30.

[0034] The assembly consisting of the rack 82 and the bolt 30 also provides a pin 85 with reference to which this assembly can translate and possibly rotate.

[0035] This operation is reversible, always by acting on the handle 20, to unlock the deadbolt 10 and open the door or window from the outside.

[0036] For this purpose, a spiral return spring 60 may preferably, but not necessarily, be combined with the gear wheel 80, interposed between the base body 15 and the same gear wheel 80.

[0037] In this case, the handle 20 is returned to its initial position, corresponding to its extracted position, of engagement with the bolt 30 in a seat or abutment combined with a jamb, or frame, of a door, window or other fixture.

[0038] Marginal note, the deadbolt 10 further provides, and in a way known per se in the art, a locking element 90 useful in the event of pressurized room to lock it and therefore prevent it from fully opening, but with no functions affecting the operation of the deadbolt 10 of the invention.

[0039] The deadbolt 10 is visible in figure 2, applied to a door P which subdivides the inner space I from the outer space E in the example depicted.

[0040] The door P can be the door of a cold room, or anyhow of an air-conditioned room which requires a high degree of thermal insulation from the outside.

[0041] As visible in figure 4, there is a perforated plate 15', with respect to which the gear wheel 80 can rotate and the rack 82 integral with the bolt 30 can translate and rotate, inside the base body 15 of the deadbolt 10.

[0042] The base body 15 is closed on the outside by a wall 15" (figure 3 and figure 7) which has a slit, i.e. a through hole, which defines a cam path 50, 55, 57.

[0043] More in particular, a first portion 50 of the cam path, i.e. a first cam 50 substantially horizontal when the deadbolt 10 is mounted in the operative position, a second portion 55 of the cam path, i.e. a second cam 55 substantially perpendicular to the first cam 50, and a third portion 57 of the cam path, i.e. a third cam 57 substantially perpendicular to the second cam 55 and substantially parallel to the first cam 50, are formed in the closing wall 15".

[0044] In the embodiment shown herein, the configuration of the first, second and third cams 50, 55, 57 forms a substantially continuous C-shaped path, wherein - in the example depicted in figure 3 - the length of the first cam 50 is substantially greater than the length of the third cam 57.

[0045] As can be seen in figure 7, the closing wall 15" further comprises a linear guide 87 in the form of a channel made inside the closing wall 15" (i.e. on its inner face), as an extension of the first cam 50 which acts, as will be seen, as a track for a jutting-out pin 85 integral with the bolt 30.

[0046] According to an aspect of the invention, the deadbolt 10 also provides a knob 40 having a stem 41 which has a threaded end 42 adapted for engaging with a threaded nut 43 provided inside the bolt 30 of the deadbolt 10 (figure 6), wherein, when the deadbolt 10 is mounted in the operative position, the aforesaid knob 40 is facing the inside I of the room closed by the door or window on which the deadbolt 10 itself is applied.

[0047] Alternatively, the knob 40 can be constrained to the bolt 30 by means of any axially sliding constraint of the stem 41 with respect to the same bolt 30, in direction of the axis of the same stem 41, so as to be facing the inside I of the room closed by the door or window on which that deadbolt 10 is applied.

[0048] In any case, in an embodiment, the stem of the knob 40 is constrained to move within the aforesaid cam path 50, 55, 57 and can, in particular, move within the aforesaid first, second and third cams 50, 55, 57 of the wall 15".

[0049] The cam path provides at least one first section 50 which imposes the constraint between the gear wheel 80 and the rack 82, such that motion is transferred from the gear wheel 80 to the rack 82, and at least one second section 55, 57 which imposes on the rack 82 to disengage from the gear wheel 80, so that no motion is transferred from the gear wheel 80 to the same rack 82, and so that the latter can be manually displaced together with the bolt 30, without the gear wheel 82 being affected by this displacement.

[0050] In the embodiment shown herein, the first section of the cam path is constituted by the first cam 50 of substantially horizontal extent, while the second section of the cam path comprises both the second cam 55 of substantially vertical extent, in which the rack 82 is disengaged from the gear wheel 80, and the third cam 57 of substantially horizontal extent.

[0051] In the embodiment illustrated, the first cam 50 has an opening of greater size than the openings of the second and third cams 55 and 57 of the wall 15".

[0052] Moreover, as is seen in figure 6, the stem of the knob 40 has two different portions 47, 48 having different sizes.

[0053] The portion 47, close to the threaded end, has a smaller diameter than the portion 48, which is closer to the knob 40 and has a greater diameter.

[0054] The portion of the stem of greater diameter 48 can slide in the first cam 50, but this portion 48 cannot slide in the other cams 55, 57 having openings of smaller width.

[0055] In the embodiment of the figures, the knob 40 is constrained to the bolt 30 so that the portion of the stem 41 of greater diameter 48 engages within the first cam 50, so that the translation of the bolt 30 controlled by the handle 20 towards its retracted position or towards its extracted position is anyhow allowed.

[0056] The engagement of the stem portion of smaller diameter 47 - for example the stem portion 42 corresponding to the thread of the stem itself - within the cam path 50, 55, 57 is only achieved by axially translating the knob 40 away from the bolt 30, for example by unscrewing this knob 40 in the event of a threaded constraint with the bolt 30, so that the stem 41 can be displaced to the second section of the cam path and, in particular, the second and third cams 55, 57, so as to achieve the disengagement of the rack 82 from the gear wheel 80 and the manual displacement of the bolt 30 translating towards its retracted or extracted position.

[0057] Furthermore, the closing wall 15", as mentioned (see figure 7 which shows a plan view of the inner face of this closing wall 15"), is therein provided, i.e. on its face facing the inner mechanisms of the deadbolt 10, with a linear guide 87 inside which the jutting-out pin 85 integral with the bolt 30 slides. That linear guide groove 87, which defines a linear extension of the first cam 50, accompanies the jutting-out pin 85 from the retracted position to the extracted position, and vice-versa, of the bolt 30.

[0058] In the operative position, the bolt 30 rests on the closing wall 15" of the base body 15, so that the jutting-out pin 85 is arranged inside the linear guide 87. It is noted that the jutting-out pin 85 can slide and rotate within this linear guide 87 of the wall 15".

[0059] During the operation of the deadbolt 10, the unlocking and locking of the door or window to which the deadbolt 10 is applied occurs in a conventional way.

[0060] In particular, operating the handle 20 rotates the gear wheel 80 which, by acting on the rack 82, displaces the bolt 30 in the same horizontal direction of the first cam 50.

[0061] When unlocking and locking the door or window, the displacement of the bolt 30 makes the knob 40 slide along the first cam 50 and the jutting-out pin 85 slide within the linear guide 87 of the closing wall 15".

[0062] In the door-locking position, the bolt 30 is in its extracted position and the fully screwed knob 40, i.e. with the stem portion 48 of greater diameter engaged in the first cam 50, is at the second cam 55, at the corresponding end of the aforesaid first cam 50.

[0063] If an operator is inside the room closed by the door or window on which the deadbolt 10 itself is applied, he / she can operate the knob 40 to open the deadbolt 10.

[0064] Firstly, the operator unscrews, or in other embodiments anyhow displaces, the knob 40 by moving it away perpendicularly from the surface of the perforated plate 15', so that the stem portion 47 of the knob 40 of smaller diameter is at the first cam 50 and therefore at the second and third cams 55, 57. This unlocks the knob 40, i.e. disengages the rack 82 from the gear wheel 80, which is now also able to be displaced manually within the second and third cams 55, 57.

[0065] Since in the locking position of the deadbolt 10, the knob 40 is at the second cam 55 substantially perpendicular to the first cam 50, it is possible to translate that knob 40 along the direction of the second cam 55 after the knob 40 has been unlocked, making the bolt 30 move backward.

[0066] In this step, the assembly consisting of the rack 82 and the bolt 30 rotates about the pin 85, the rack 82 disengages from the gear wheel 80, and the tip of the bolt 30 abuts against the lower surface of the slot 70 or anyhow exploits the space available in this slot 70 to bring itself into an inclined position.

[0067] Generally, the slot 70 is therefore configured for allowing the bolt 30 to be inclined with respect to the horizontal position.

[0068] Subsequently, the operator can translate that knob 40 along the direction of the third cam 57, substantially perpendicular to the second cam 55 and substantially parallel to the first cam 50, a movement which brings the assembly consisting of the rack 82 and the bolt 30 disengaged from the gear wheel 80, to translate away from the opening of the slot 70 and therefore allow the door or window to be released for its opening.

[0069] The deadbolt 10 can be made of plastic material to avoid thermal bridges.

[0070] Obviously, the invention as described can further be modified or improved for contingent or particular reasons, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention itself.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0025]The present invention will now be illustrated with initial reference to figure 1, in which a lockable deadbolt openable from the inside, generally denoted by the numerical reference 10, is visible.

[0026]The deadbolt 10 is a mechanical device designed to ensure that doors, windows or other openings are securely closed and locked, but it can also be opened from the inside in the event of an emergency, for example accidental entrapment of an operator.

[0027]The deadbolt 10 comprises a base body 15 which incorporates a bolt (or latch) 30, i.e. a movable element designed for permanently locking the deadbolt 10 onto the door or window to which it is applied and which is configured for coming out of a slot 70 formed in the base body 15.

[0028]The movement of the bolt 30 is controlled by a gear wheel 80 in turn operable from the outside, thanks to a handle 20.

[0029]Alternatively to the handle 20, there may be any other type of hand grip placed on the outside and able to transmit rotary ...

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention concerns a locking deadbolt openable from the inside.

[0002] In particular, the deadbolt of the present invention is designed for applications for which it is necessary to ensure an immediate and safe way out from inside a closed environment to operators, in the event of an emergency or accidental closing.KNOWN PRIOR ART

[0003] There are many known applications in which it is essential to prevent the risk of accidental entrapment of people inside locked rooms, such as for example in cold storage rooms which are generally subject to extremely low temperatures, and in which it is essential to ensure an immediate and safe way out to operators in the event of accidental entrapment.

[0004] Other application examples can concern emergency doors in closed warehouses or storage depots, inside which the personnel could accidentally be trapped during loading and unloading operations, or access doors to storage rooms or labs with controlled atmospheres or sterile environments where operators enter with personal protective equipment, or closed transport structures, such as refrigerated vans or containers used to transport goods, in which the safety of loading personnel must always be ensured.

[0005] Such doors generally provide for a base body provided with an outer handle and a movable bolt designed to permanently, although reversibly, lock the opening of the door and configured for moving through a slot present in the base body. The bolt is lockable in position by means of a key combined with the aforesaid handle, so as to permanently lock the door.

[0006] Document CN219605092U, in the name of Gaoyou Jingbiao Gear Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (CN), describes an electronically controlled door lock for railway vehicles with a manual operation option in order to prevent issues due to possible power blackouts.

[0007] The lock comprises a lock box, a controller positioned in the lower part of the lock box and a sensor in the upper part of the box.

[0008] Under normal conditions, when the door of the vehicle must be opened, personnel connect the access card to the sensor which transmits the signal to the controller which, in turn, drives a motor integral with a gear wheel which moves a rack by operating a sliding plate and an insertion rod, integral with the plate, which is retracted relative to the door frame.

[0009] In the event the controller or motor operating the gear should malfunction and the lock should stay stuck in the locked position of the door, personnel have the possibility of manually acting on a cursor by displacing a sliding movable block and the movable plate so that the gear wheel is separated from the rack and, due to the return force produced by a specific spring, the sliding plate and the insertion rod are pushed towards the inside of the lock box, thus releasing the opening of the door.

[0010] The known system anyhow has critical issues linked to the force of the spring, since this system is based on the return force generated by a specific spring.

[0011] US 1169659 describes a lock, inside a base body, provided with a movable bolt comprising a rack, an outer hand grip mounted on the same shaft of an inner knob and a gear wheel integral with that shaft. The outer hand grip, the shaft and therefore the inner knob are mounted on the base body so as to slide axially with respect to the latter, so that the gear wheel is movable between a position of engagement and a position of disengagement with / from the rack of the bolt, depending on the position assumed by the knob, the hand grip and therefore the respective shaft. A spring retains the knob, the hand grip and the shaft in an arrangement corresponding to the position of disengagement of the rack from the gear wheel.

[0012] Also in this case, the presence of a spring makes the operation of the lock critical.

[0013] Actually, elastic properties of the springs, although made of high quality materials, undergo natural deterioration due, for example, to the fact that, in contexts such as railway vehicles or in applications such as cold storage rooms, springs may be exposed to adverse environmental conditions, among which extreme temperatures: at low temperatures, the spring's material could stiffen, thus reducing its returning ability, whereas weakening of elastic stress may occur at high temperatures.

[0014] Moreover, constant vibrations typical of moving vehicles, i.e. repeated thermal cycles, may accelerate mechanical degradation of the spring.

[0015] Finally, the lock box, if not properly sealed or protected, could allow dust, metal debris, grease, moisture or other contaminants present in the surrounding environment to enter, thereby comprising the operation of the spring.

[0016] If the force of the spring should be significantly reduced, the manual mechanism may not be able to operate properly, thus preventing or degrading bolt actuation.

[0017] Object of the present invention is to provide a deadbolt which solves the problems of the known art.

[0018] Further object of the invention is to achieve the aforesaid results in a practical and economical way.BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0019] These and further objects are achieved by means of a locking deadbolt openable from the inside, comprising: a base body configured for being fastened onto a door, window or other opening, and provided with a slot; a movable bolt designed for locking the opening and configured for moving through the slot between a retracted position and an extracted position from the slot; a gear wheel operable from the outside by means of a handle, or hand grip, the aforesaid gear wheel being configured for transmitting the movement to a rack connected to the bolt in order to move the bolt through the slot, wherein the aforesaid deadbolt further comprises a knob located on an opposite side of the deadbolt with respect to the handle, or hand grip, and configured for being moved along a path defined by cams present in the base body, wherein the movement of the knob along the cam path is transmitted to the bolt to allow the deadbolt to be manually unlocked from the inside; and wherein the cam path advantageously comprises at least one first section and at least one second section, wherein the rack is engaged with the gear wheel in said at least one first section to receive the movement from that gear wheel and the rack is unconstrained from the gear wheel in said at least one second section so as to not transmit any movement to said rack and thereby achieve the unlocking of the deadbolt from the inside.

[0020] It should be noted that, herein and hereunder, the expression "path defined by cams," or its equivalent expression "cam path", means a shaped guide which, being directly or indirectly coupled to said knob, determines the law of motion and, in particular, the trajectory the knob follows depending on the shape of that cam path.

[0021] An advantage of the present invention is that the movement for opening the deadbolt from the inside does not require springs, therefore preventing the problems of the known art.

[0022] A further advantage of the present invention is that, in the event the bolt is locked in its extracted position for closing the deadbolt, thanks for example to a key mechanism able to reversibly inhibit the rotation of the gear wheel, it is still possible to perform a movement for opening the deadbolt by manually displacing the bolt towards its retracted position.

[0023] Further characteristics of the invention can be deduced from the dependent claims.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0024] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the reading of the following description provided by way of example and without limitations, with the aid of the figures depicted in the accompanying tables, in which: figure 1 shows a locking deadbolt openable from the inside, according to an embodiment of the present invention, provided with a handle and depicted in side view; figure 2 shows a top view of figure 1; figure 3 shows an axonometric view of the locking deadbolt of figure 1; figure 4 shows an axonometric view of the locking deadbolt of figure 1, in which some components were removed to allow the inner mechanisms to be seen; figure 5 shows a side view of the locking deadbolt of figure 1, in which some components were removed to allow the inner mechanisms to be seen; and figure 6 shows a sectional view, according to the section plane A-A of figure 5, of the locking deadbolt of the invention; and figure 7 shows a plan view of the closing wall of the base body enclosing the mechanism of the deadbolt, taken from the side facing that mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0025] The present invention will now be illustrated with initial reference to figure 1, in which a lockable deadbolt openable from the inside, generally denoted by the numerical reference 10, is visible.

[0026] The deadbolt 10 is a mechanical device designed to ensure that doors, windows or other openings are securely closed and locked, but it can also be opened from the inside in the event of an emergency, for example accidental entrapment of an operator.

[0027] The deadbolt 10 comprises a base body 15 which incorporates a bolt (or latch) 30, i.e. a movable element designed for permanently locking the deadbolt 10 onto the door or window to which it is applied and which is configured for coming out of a slot 70 formed in the base body 15.

[0028] The movement of the bolt 30 is controlled by a gear wheel 80 in turn operable from the outside, thanks to a handle 20.

[0029] Alternatively to the handle 20, there may be any other type of hand grip placed on the outside and able to transmit rotary motion to the gear wheel 80.

[0030] The gear wheel 80 acts on a rack 82 integral with the bolt 30 to allow the latter to substantially move horizontally through the slot 70, from a retracted door-unlocking position to an extracted door-locking position, and vice-versa.

[0031] According to known art, the bolt 30 of the deadlock 10 is engaged, by translating, within a seat or abutment combined with a jamb, or frame, of the door or window, or other fixture, in its extracted position and disengages from that seat or abutment in its retracted position.

[0032] The bolt 30 of the deadbolt 10 has, for this purpose, a tapered end 89 for engaging with a seat or abutment combined with a jamb, or frame, of the door or window, or other fixture (figs. 1, 3 or 4).

[0033] Moreover, the bolt 30 comprises a jutting-out pin 85 (figure 4) which is arranged close to the tapered end 89 and which is protruding orthogonally with respect to the translation direction of the same bolt 30.

[0034] The assembly consisting of the rack 82 and the bolt 30 also provides a pin 85 with reference to which this assembly can translate and possibly rotate.

[0035] This operation is reversible, always by acting on the handle 20, to unlock the deadbolt 10 and open the door or window from the outside.

[0036] For this purpose, a spiral return spring 60 may preferably, but not necessarily, be combined with the gear wheel 80, interposed between the base body 15 and the same gear wheel 80.

[0037] In this case, the handle 20 is returned to its initial position, corresponding to its extracted position, of engagement with the bolt 30 in a seat or abutment combined with a jamb, or frame, of a door, window or other fixture.

[0038] Marginal note, the deadbolt 10 further provides, and in a way known per se in the art, a locking element 90 useful in the event of pressurized room to lock it and therefore prevent it from fully opening, but with no functions affecting the operation of the deadbolt 10 of the invention.

[0039] The deadbolt 10 is visible in figure 2, applied to a door P which subdivides the inner space I from the outer space E in the example depicted.

[0040] The door P can be the door of a cold room, or anyhow of an air-conditioned room which requires a high degree of thermal insulation from the outside.

[0041] As visible in figure 4, there is a perforated plate 15', with respect to which the gear wheel 80 can rotate and the rack 82 integral with the bolt 30 can translate and rotate, inside the base body 15 of the deadbolt 10.

[0042] The base body 15 is closed on the outside by a wall 15" (figure 3 and figure 7) which has a slit, i.e. a through hole, which defines a cam path 50, 55, 57.

[0043] More in particular, a first portion 50 of the cam path, i.e. a first cam 50 substantially horizontal when the deadbolt 10 is mounted in the operative position, a second portion 55 of the cam path, i.e. a second cam 55 substantially perpendicular to the first cam 50, and a third portion 57 of the cam path, i.e. a third cam 57 substantially perpendicular to the second cam 55 and substantially parallel to the first cam 50, are formed in the closing wall 15".

[0044] In the embodiment shown herein, the configuration of the first, second and third cams 50, 55, 57 forms a substantially continuous C-shaped path, wherein - in the example depicted in figure 3 - the length of the first cam 50 is substantially greater than the length of the third cam 57.

[0045] As can be seen in figure 7, the closing wall 15" further comprises a linear guide 87 in the form of a channel made inside the closing wall 15" (i.e. on its inner face), as an extension of the first cam 50 which acts, as will be seen, as a track for a jutting-out pin 85 integral with the bolt 30.

[0046] According to an aspect of the invention, the deadbolt 10 also provides a knob 40 having a stem 41 which has a threaded end 42 adapted for engaging with a threaded nut 43 provided inside the bolt 30 of the deadbolt 10 (figure 6), wherein, when the deadbolt 10 is mounted in the operative position, the aforesaid knob 40 is facing the inside I of the room closed by the door or window on which the deadbolt 10 itself is applied.

[0047] Alternatively, the knob 40 can be constrained to the bolt 30 by means of any axially sliding constraint of the stem 41 with respect to the same bolt 30, in direction of the axis of the same stem 41, so as to be facing the inside I of the room closed by the door or window on which that deadbolt 10 is applied.

[0048] In any case, in an embodiment, the stem of the knob 40 is constrained to move within the aforesaid cam path 50, 55, 57 and can, in particular, move within the aforesaid first, second and third cams 50, 55, 57 of the wall 15".

[0049] The cam path provides at least one first section 50 which imposes the constraint between the gear wheel 80 and the rack 82, such that motion is transferred from the gear wheel 80 to the rack 82, and at least one second section 55, 57 which imposes on the rack 82 to disengage from the gear wheel 80, so that no motion is transferred from the gear wheel 80 to the same rack 82, and so that the latter can be manually displaced together with the bolt 30, without the gear wheel 82 being affected by this displacement.

[0050] In the embodiment shown herein, the first section of the cam path is constituted by the first cam 50 of substantially horizontal extent, while the second section of the cam path comprises both the second cam 55 of substantially vertical extent, in which the rack 82 is disengaged from the gear wheel 80, and the third cam 57 of substantially horizontal extent.

[0051] In the embodiment illustrated, the first cam 50 has an opening of greater size than the openings of the second and third cams 55 and 57 of the wall 15".

[0052] Moreover, as is seen in figure 6, the stem of the knob 40 has two different portions 47, 48 having different sizes.

[0053] The portion 47, close to the threaded end, has a smaller diameter than the portion 48, which is closer to the knob 40 and has a greater diameter.

[0054] The portion of the stem of greater diameter 48 can slide in the first cam 50, but this portion 48 cannot slide in the other cams 55, 57 having openings of smaller width.

[0055] In the embodiment of the figures, the knob 40 is constrained to the bolt 30 so that the portion of the stem 41 of greater diameter 48 engages within the first cam 50, so that the translation of the bolt 30 controlled by the handle 20 towards its retracted position or towards its extracted position is anyhow allowed.

[0056] The engagement of the stem portion of smaller diameter 47 - for example the stem portion 42 corresponding to the thread of the stem itself - within the cam path 50, 55, 57 is only achieved by axially translating the knob 40 away from the bolt 30, for example by unscrewing this knob 40 in the event of a threaded constraint with the bolt 30, so that the stem 41 can be displaced to the second section of the cam path and, in particular, the second and third cams 55, 57, so as to achieve the disengagement of the rack 82 from the gear wheel 80 and the manual displacement of the bolt 30 translating towards its retracted or extracted position.

[0057] Furthermore, the closing wall 15", as mentioned (see figure 7 which shows a plan view of the inner face of this closing wall 15"), is therein provided, i.e. on its face facing the inner mechanisms of the deadbolt 10, with a linear guide 87 inside which the jutting-out pin 85 integral with the bolt 30 slides. That linear guide groove 87, which defines a linear extension of the first cam 50, accompanies the jutting-out pin 85 from the retracted position to the extracted position, and vice-versa, of the bolt 30.

[0058] In the operative position, the bolt 30 rests on the closing wall 15" of the base body 15, so that the jutting-out pin 85 is arranged inside the linear guide 87. It is noted that the jutting-out pin 85 can slide and rotate within this linear guide 87 of the wall 15".

[0059] During the operation of the deadbolt 10, the unlocking and locking of the door or window to which the deadbolt 10 is applied occurs in a conventional way.

[0060] In particular, operating the handle 20 rotates the gear wheel 80 which, by acting on the rack 82, displaces the bolt 30 in the same horizontal direction of the first cam 50.

[0061] When unlocking and locking the door or window, the displacement of the bolt 30 makes the knob 40 slide along the first cam 50 and the jutting-out pin 85 slide within the linear guide 87 of the closing wall 15".

[0062] In the door-locking position, the bolt 30 is in its extracted position and the fully screwed knob 40, i.e. with the stem portion 48 of greater diameter engaged in the first cam 50, is at the second cam 55, at the corresponding end of the aforesaid first cam 50.

[0063] If an operator is inside the room closed by the door or window on which the deadbolt 10 itself is applied, he / she can operate the knob 40 to open the deadbolt 10.

[0064] Firstly, the operator unscrews, or in other embodiments anyhow displaces, the knob 40 by moving it away perpendicularly from the surface of the perforated plate 15', so that the stem portion 47 of the knob 40 of smaller diameter is at the first cam 50 and therefore at the second and third cams 55, 57. This unlocks the knob 40, i.e. disengages the rack 82 from the gear wheel 80, which is now also able to be displaced manually within the second and third cams 55, 57.

[0065] Since in the locking position of the deadbolt 10, the knob 40 is at the second cam 55 substantially perpendicular to the first cam 50, it is possible to translate that knob 40 along the direction of the second cam 55 after the knob 40 has been unlocked, making the bolt 30 move backward.

[0066] In this step, the assembly consisting of the rack 82 and the bolt 30 rotates about the pin 85, the rack 82 disengages from the gear wheel 80, and the tip of the bolt 30 abuts against the lower surface of the slot 70 or anyhow exploits the space available in this slot 70 to bring itself into an inclined position.

[0067] Generally, the slot 70 is therefore configured for allowing the bolt 30 to be inclined with respect to the horizontal position.

[0068] Subsequently, the operator can translate that knob 40 along the direction of the third cam 57, substantially perpendicular to the second cam 55 and substantially parallel to the first cam 50, a movement which brings the assembly consisting of the rack 82 and the bolt 30 disengaged from the gear wheel 80, to translate away from the opening of the slot 70 and therefore allow the door or window to be released for its opening.

[0069] The deadbolt 10 can be made of plastic material to avoid thermal bridges.

[0070] Obviously, the invention as described can further be modified or improved for contingent or particular reasons, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention itself.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0025]The present invention will now be illustrated with initial reference to figure 1, in which a lockable deadbolt openable from the inside, generally denoted by the numerical reference 10, is visible.

[0026]The deadbolt 10 is a mechanical device designed to ensure that doors, windows or other openings are securely closed and locked, but it can also be opened from the inside in the event of an emergency, for example accidental entrapment of an operator.

[0027]The deadbolt 10 comprises a base body 15 which incorporates a bolt (or latch) 30, i.e. a movable element designed for permanently locking the deadbolt 10 onto the door or window to which it is applied and which is configured for coming out of a slot 70 formed in the base body 15.

[0028]The movement of the bolt 30 is controlled by a gear wheel 80 in turn operable from the outside, thanks to a handle 20.

[0029]Alternatively to the handle 20, there may be any other type of hand grip placed on the outside and able to transmit rotary ...

Claims

1. Locking deadbolt (10) openable from the inside, comprising: a deadbolt base body (15) configured for being fastened onto a door, window or other opening, and provided with a slot (70); a movable bolt (30) designed for locking the opening and configured for moving through the slot between a retracted position and an extracted position from the slot (70); a gear wheel (80) operable from the outside by means of a handle or hand grip (20), the aforesaid gear wheel (80) being configured for transmitting the movement to a rack (82) connected to the bolt (30) in order to move the bolt (30) through the slot (70), wherein the aforesaid deadbolt (10) further comprises a knob (40) located on an opposite side of the deadbolt (10) with respect to the handle or hand grip (20) and configured for being moved along a path defined by cams (50, 55, 57) present in the base body (15) of the deadbolt, wherein the movement of the knob (40) along the cam path (50, 55, 57) is transmitted to the bolt (30) to allow the deadbolt (10) to be manually unlocked from the inside, characterized in that said cam path (50, 55, 57) comprises at least one first section (50) and at least one second section (55, 57), wherein the rack (82) is engaged with the gear wheel (80) in said at least one first section to receive the movement from such gear wheel (80) and the rack (82) is unconstrained from the gear wheel (80) in said at least one second section (55, 57).

2. Locking deadbolt (10) according to claim 1, wherein the bolt (30) is configured for rotating about a pin (85) when operated by the knob (40), so as to facilitate its displacement from the locked to the open position.

3. Locking deadbolt (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bolt (30) is configured for translating when operated by the knob (40), to favor its displacement from the locked to the open position.

4. Locking deadbolt (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cam path (50, 55, 57) is configured so as to form a continuous C, with a first cam (50) substantially horizontal, a second cam (55) substantially perpendicular to the first cam and a third cam (57) substantially parallel to the first cam (50).

5. Locking deadbolt (10) according to claim 4, wherein the first cam (50) has an opening of greater size than the openings of the second and third cams (55, 57) of the wall (15") and wherein the knob (40) provides a stem (41) with a threaded end (42), wherein the stem (41) of the knob (40) has a first and a second portion (47,48), the aforesaid portions (47,48) having different dimensions, wherein the first portion (47), close to the threaded end, has a smaller diameter than the second portion (48) close to the knob (40), and wherein the portion (48) of the stem (41) of the knob (40) having a greater diameter can slide within the first cam (50) but cannot slide within the second and third cams (55, 57) that have openings smaller in width.

6. Locking deadbolt (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base body (15) of the deadbolt comprises an outer wall (15") in which said cams (50, 55, 57) are formed and configured for guiding the movement of the knob (40).

7. Locking deadbolt (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the slot (70) is configured for allowing the bolt (30) to be inclined with respect to the horizontal position.

8. Locking deadbolt (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bolt (30) and the rack (82) form an integral assembly configured for rotating about the pin (85) and translating when the knob (40) is manually operated.

9. Locking deadbolt (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base body (15) comprises a perforated plate (15') acting as a guide for the movement of the gear wheel (80) and rack (82).

10. Locking deadbolt (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by being made of plastic material.

Images