Rod locking device for multi-point locks, locks incorporating such a device, and mounting methods

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rod-type locking device (20) (1) comprising: - a bolt (21) configured for locking and unlocking a door (40), the bolt (21) having a through hole (213); - a cable (24) configured for pulling the bolt (21), the cable (24) passing through the through hole (213) and comprising a stop (241) in contact with one end of the bolt (21); and - a return spring configured for releasing the bolt (21). Abstract figure: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Rod locking device for multi-point locks, lock comprising such a device and mounting method. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to the field of multi-point rod locks.

[0002] More particularly, the invention proposes rod-type locking devices for multi-point locks, as well as locks incorporating such devices.

[0003] It further proposes a method for mounting such a device on an opening. STATE OF THE ART

[0004] Prior art exists multi-point locks designed to be surface-mounted on openings, which comprise:

[0005] - a housing containing a latch and / or deadbolt lock mechanism, controlled by a key / cylinder assembly or simply by a cremone bolt,

[0006] - one or more auxiliary locking bolts, intended to be mounted in part The upper and / or lower part of the opening is connected by a rod-like device to the locking mechanism. These auxiliary bolts and the rod-like device allow for locking at additional points beyond the main lock.

[0007] A first example of a flat rod lock in this sense was, for example, proposed by the Applicant in its application EP 2 407 619. In this example, the flat rod is in two parts and includes a device for adjusting the translation of a first bar of the rod along a second bar.

[0008] According to a second example proposed by the Applicant in document FR 2 929 978, the flat rod may also include variations in section, for example cylindrical portions, and has at its end a bolt attached to the rod.

[0009] Other locking devices still use tubular rods.

[0010] In all these examples, the rod is solid and rigid. It may also have several parts. Consequently, the rod can be difficult for a technician to handle or adjust quickly. Furthermore, if the rod is damaged, maintenance and replacement of rod parts can be complex, for example, in the case of a rod attached to a bolt at its end or to the rod height adjustment mechanism. Description of the invention

[0011] It is desirable to have even less bulky locking devices, with a limited number of components and allowing for simplification of the number of operations required for their installation, adjustment and maintenance on an opening.

[0012] For this purpose, the invention proposes a rod-type locking device for a multi-point lock comprising: - a bolt support configured to be mounted on an opening, near the top or bottom part of it, on the same side of the opening as a lock case; - a bolt intended to be mounted on the support, said bolt then being movable in translation relative to the latter and being configured to lock and unlock said opening, the bolt comprising an orifice passing through it in its length; - a cable passing through the opening of said bolt and configured to pull said bolt into an unlocked position relative to the support, one end of the cable intended to be opposite the bolt being configured to be connected to a drive mechanism of a lock case; and - a return spring intended to be mounted on the support to push the bolt back into a locking position.

[0013] Such a cable-based device is particularly simplified. It offers economic advantages both in terms of the number of parts and assembly time.

[0014] This device can be advantageously complemented by the various features the following, taken alone or in their possible combinations:

[0015] - the bolt and the support comprise: - one, a first and a second buffer, - the other, a groove and a ring system mounted in the groove, the cable being configured to pull the bolt towards an unlocking position where the ring system is against one of the stops, the return spring being configured to push the bolt back towards a locking position where the ring system is against the other of the stops;

[0016] - the device further comprises a fastening device connected to the second cable end, the device being configured to connect the second end of the cable to the drive mechanism of the housing and to adjust a cable tension;

[0017] - the device further comprises a cover mounted on the support, the cover comprising a fixing hole extending on only one side of the hood.

[0018] The invention also proposes a lock comprising a case and a rod(s) device of the aforementioned type, the case being configured to be mounted on an opening and comprising a cylinder and a drive mechanism movable in translation relative to the case, the cable being connected to the drive mechanism, the cylinder being configured to drive said mechanism.

[0019] It may be provided that the housing is configured to be fixed on the surface of an opening face.

[0020] The invention also proposes a method for mounting a lock with a rod locking device of the aforementioned type, the method comprising: - mounting the bolt in the support; and - the cable is inserted through the bolt hole.

[0021] It may be provided that the mounting of the bolt in the support and the placement of the cable through the bolt hole are carried out at the time of installing the lock or beforehand, for example in an assembly center away from a place where the lock is installed.

[0022] The method may further include: - mounting the bolt support on an opening; and - attaching the end of the cable to the drive mechanism.

[0023] The method may further include a step of adjusting a cable tension.

[0024] The method may further include fitting a cover in a support hood protruding from one face of the case. DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0025] Other features, purposes and advantages will become apparent from the following description, which is purely illustrative and not limiting, and which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings on which:

[0026] - [Fig.1] illustrates a box and a rod(s) device;

[0027] - Figures [Fig. 2a] and [Fig. 2b] illustrate the lock of [Fig. 1] in the locked position and unlocking;

[0028] - [Fig.3] is a perspective view illustrating a bolt;

[0029] - the [Fig.4] is an exploded view illustrating the bolt of the [Fig.3];

[0030] - [Fig.5] is an exploded view of a rod(s) device;

[0031] - [Fig. 6] is a close-up exploded view of part of the rod(s) device of the [Fig.5];

[0032] - [Fig.7a] and [Fig.7b] are close-up views of a hanging device;

[0033] - [Fig. 8] is a perspective view illustrating part of a hood; and

[0034] - Figure 9 illustrates one method of implementing a method for mounting a lock and a rod locking device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] The lock 1 illustrated in [Fig. 1] is an assembly configured to lock or unlock an opening, for example a door 40. Said assembly is fixed in applies to one face 41 of the door 40 and allows multi-point locking.

[0036] It includes, for example:

[0037] - a housing 10 with a latch bolt 13 and a deadbolt 14 fixed to the face 41 of the door 40, such that the front edge 15 of said housing 10 is flush with a first slice 42 in the height of the door 40 opposite a second slice 43 which carries the hinges (not visible in the figures) of said door 40,

[0038] - a rod locking device 20 connected to a drive mechanism 12 what is included in said case 10.

[0039] The drive mechanism 12, comprising for example a rod guide 121 as illustrated in [Fig.1], can be driven by the action of a key 30 inserted in a cylinder 11 of the housing 10. The rotation of the key 30 also causes the deadbolt 14 to extend into a locking position where it protrudes from the first slice 42 and the front edge 15 of the housing 10 and is engaged in a supplementary strike plate (not visible in the figures).

[0040] The rod locking device includes one or more auxiliary locking bolts 21. Such an auxiliary locking bolt 21 is mounted movably to slide on a support 22, itself mounted on the surface at the top or bottom of the door, near the first section 42 of the door 40.

[0041] The support 22 is for example a steel sheet, shaped into a stirrup (shape detailed later) by stamping.

[0042] It also carries a spring 23 configured to push the bolt 21 into a locking position where said bolt 21 is projecting from the first slice 42 (in the upper or lower part of the door 40, depending on the area on which its support 22 is mounted) of the door 40.

[0043] The rod locking device 20 further includes a cable 24 which is connected to the actuation means of the housing and which allows the bolt 21 to be pulled into the unlocked position.

[0044] Cable 24 is for example a small diameter metal cable (for example, less than 5mm) which gives it a certain flexibility and allows its bulk to be limited during storage before assembly.

[0045] With reference to Figures 2a and 2b, turning the key 30 in the cylinder 11 of the housing 10 in a first direction to control the unlocking allows the deadbolt 14 to move and, via the rod guide 121 of the drive mechanism 12, exerts force on the cable 24 to pull the bolt 21 to a first retracted position. When the deadbolt 14 and the bolt 21 are retracted, turning the key 30 in the same direction then allows the latch bolt 13 to retract.

[0046] The action of the key 30 in the barrel 11 of the housing 10 in the opposite direction releases the force on the cable 24, which has the effect of partially relaxing the cable 24 and then the return spring 23. This pushes the bolt 21 to a locking position, for example in the strike plate of the door frame (not shown in the figures).

[0047] The bolt 21 is further traversed axially by an opening 213 extending from said bolt 21 at each of its ends. At its end intended to be furthest from the housing 10, the cable 24 includes a stop 241 designed, when the bolt 21 is mounted on the cable 24, to abut against an edge of the opening 213 of the bolt 21, at the corresponding end of said bolt 21. The stop 241 is, for example, a protrusion at one end of the cable 24, obtained by a knot or by a part fixed to the cable 24 which defines an edge having a radius greater than the radius of the opening 213.

[0048] During assembly, the cable 24 is threaded through the opening 213 of the bolt 21 until the stop 241 of the cable 24 is against the end of the bolt 21.

[0049] As illustrated in figures 3 and 4, the mounting of the support 22 on the door 40 is done for example by screwing (screw 221).

[0050] The support 22 is in the form of a stirrup which includes a base 224, as well as: - two retaining brackets 225, 226 between which the bolt 21 and the spring 23 extend, and - two lateral flanges 227, 228 configured to accommodate a means of fastening, for example a stop screw.

[0051] The base 224 of the support 22 further carries two projecting stops 222 and 223 facing each other. The bolt 21 includes a groove 211 receiving a ring system 212 extending from the bolt 21, for example a circlip or an omega spring. The ring system 212 is configured to abut against the first and second stops 222, 223 in order to limit the travel of the bolt 21. Specifically, the bolt 21 is free to move translationally within the support 22, with the cable 24 pulling the bolt 21 towards the second stop 223 and the return spring releasing the bolt 21 towards the first stop 222. Thus, when the spring 23 is in the released position, the bolt 21 is held in the support 22 by the ring system 212 in contact with the first stop 222. The bolt 21, the support 22, and the spring 23 can therefore be mounted as a single unit on the door 40. Consequently, the installation and maintenance of the lock are simplified.

[0052] In addition, such a ring system 212 simplifies maintenance and allows only the system 212 to be replaced instead of the entire bolt 21 in case of damage.

[0053] At its opposite end, the cable 24 is attached to the drive mechanism of the housing 10. The rod device 20 may include for this purpose a hooking device 25 connected to the end of the cable 24 and configured to allow the cable 24 to be hooked to the drive mechanism 12 of the housing 10, for example to the rod guide 121 of Figures 7a and 7b. The device 25 may also be configured to adjust the tension of the cable 24, thus facilitating adjustment of the rod device 20. Indeed, the action of the device 25 on the cable 24 makes it possible to quickly tension the cable 24 and make the rod device 20 operational with few steps.

[0054] According to an example illustrated in [Fig. 5] and in more detail in [Fig. 6] as well as in Figures 7a and 7b, the fastening device 25 may include a fastening means, for example a pin or an assembly comprising a threaded post 251 and a nut 253, the fastening means projecting from the rod guide 121. In this case, the post 251 is inserted into an opening 1210 in the rod guide 121 until a shoulder 2510 of the post 251 makes contact with the rod guide 121. A first portion 2511 of the post 251 opposite the shoulder 2510 projects from the rod guide 121, and a second portion 2512 of the post 251 opposite the shoulder 2510 and facing the first portion 2511 extends into the orifice 1210. The pillar 251 is held together with the rod guide 121 by crimping or by hammering (striking) which expands the second portion 2512 of the pillar 251 in a countersink (not shown) of the orifice 1210.It may also be provided that the orifice 1210 is polygonal to further maintain the pillar 251 in the rod guide 121, particularly in rotation. The first portion 2511 further has a thread 2513 in which the nut 253 is mounted. The threaded post 251 also passes through a connector 252 of the attachment device 25 in order to connect the cable 24 to the rod guide 121. The cable 24 passes first through the connector 252 via a first recess 255 of said connector 252, then loops back around the threaded rod 251, and then passes a second time through the connector 252 via the second recess 256 of the connector 252. Thus, it is possible, with the connector 252 and the ring system 212 in cooperation with the second stop 223, to adjust the tension of said cable 24 by pulling on the cable 24 so as to increase its length after the second recess 256.In this case, the first and second stops 222, 223 are positioned so that the bolt 21 is respectively furthest extended (locking) and flush with the retaining flange 225 (unlocking) when the ring system 212 is respectively in contact with the first stop 222 and the second stop 223. Thus, the ring system 212 in cooperation with the second stop 223 acts as an end stop to precisely adjust the tension of the cable 24 via the connector 252. To maintain the tension of the cable 24 and secure the cable to the rod guide 121, the cable 24 can then be knotted or wedged onto the . connector 252 by a pinching force exerted by a nut 253. In order to prevent unintentional locking of the door 40, for example when the nut 253 is loose and / or not properly tightened during assembly, a flat-ended headless screw 254 can be provided, configured to be inserted into the connector 252 and to hold the cable 24 redundantly with the nut 253. Thus, in the event of a failure at the nut 253, instead of the cable 24 slackening and raising the return spring 23, and consequently the bolt 51 to the locked position, the cable 24 is still held by the screw 254.

[0055] With reference to figures 6 and 8, the rod(s) device 20 may further include a cover 27 extending along the length of the cable 20 to conceal and protect it from mechanical shocks. The cover 27 is configured to be fitted, for example by push-fitting, into a cover support 26 (known as a "cap" in the lock industry) that is integral with the housing 10 and projects from one face 16 of the housing 10. The cover support 26 is, for example, welded or screwed to the housing 10. The device 20 may further include a set screw 271 configured to fix the cover 27 to the bolt support 22 via one of the lateral flanges 226, 227 in order to stiffen the assembly of the cover 27. Thus, the cover 27 may include a fixing hole 270 that can accommodate the set screw 271 and extends along only one face of the cover 70.Indeed, thanks to the side flanges 226, 227, the orifice 270 is always opposite at least one of the side flanges 226, 227 regardless of the orientation of the cover 70. The cover 27 is therefore more aesthetically pleasing compared to a cover with two mounting orifices for the retaining screw that are opposite each other.

[0056] In order to ensure quick assembly, adjustment and maintenance of the lock 1, a technician can implement a method for assembling the lock 1 in which, with reference to [Fig.9], the following steps are implemented.

[0057] During a step E10, the housing 10 is mounted on the opening 40. In the case of a surface-mounted housing 10, it is fixed on the face 41 of said opening 40.

[0058] Alternatively, the lock 1 may already be in place, the rod device(s) 20 replacing a rod device(s) that one wishes to change.

[0059] The bolt support 22 is then mounted on the face 41 of the opening 40 during a step E20.

[0060] The bolt 21 is then mounted in the support 22 during a step E30. According to one embodiment, the bolt 22 and the spring 23 can be mounted simultaneously in the bolt support 22, for example, the spring 23 is mounted and shouldered on the bolt 22 before the bolt 21 is mounted in the support 22.

[0061] The housing 10 and the rod(s) device 20 being mounted on a face 41 of said opening 40, it is then necessary to connect them in order to be able to lock and / or unlock said opening 41.

[0062] Thus, during a step E40, the cable 24 is threaded through the hole 213 opening from the bolt 21 until the stop 241 of the cable 24 is in contact with the end of the bolt 21.

[0063] It may be provided that steps E30 and E40 are carried out beforehand, for example in an assembly center. In such a case, the rod(s) device 20 is already assembled and delivered complete to the technician responsible for installing the lock 1.

[0064] Then, during a step E50, the end of the cable 24 is mounted on the drive mechanism 12. For example, the cable 24 can be mounted on the rod guide 121 via the hooking device 25 described previously.

[0065] At this stage, the lock 1 is mounted on the face 41 of the opening 40. It is possible that the cable 24 is not exactly the correct length and therefore not sufficiently taut to ensure proper operation of the lock 1.

[0066] A step E60 for adjusting the tension of the cable 24 can therefore also be provided, for example by means of the hooking device 25 by pulling the cable 24 coming out of the second housing 256 until a desired tension is reached and then maintaining the desired tension by making a knot or by tightening the nut 253 and the flat-ended headless screw 254.

[0067] The lock 1 is ready for use by inserting the key 30 to lock and / or unlock the opening 40.

[0068] In the event that the technician wishes to mount the hood 27, an additional step E70 may be provided in which he fits the hood 27 into the hood support 26, for example by push-fitting.

[0069] The lock 1 and the rod(s) locking device 20 described above have many advantages.

[0070] The device is particularly simple. Indeed, the action of the rod(s) device 20 is permitted with a minimum of parts, namely the cable 24 and the return spring 23, which has the effect of reducing the cost of the lock 1 and increasing the reliability of the rod(s) device 20.

[0071] The rod device 20 also facilitates the installation of the lock 1, as it comprises fewer parts compared to existing hardware. It is also possible to supply the technician with a pre-assembled rod device 20, ready for installation, further simplifying the installation of the lock 1. Maintenance of the device 20 is also facilitated. Indeed, in the event of a break in the cable 24, it is easily replaceable compared to a slide, which can be bulky and have multiple connections.

Claims

Demands

1. A rod-locking device (20) for a multi-point lock (1) comprising: - a bolt support (22) configured to be mounted on an opening (40), near the upper or lower part thereof, on the same side of the opening (40) as a lock housing (10) (1); - a bolt (21) intended to be mounted on the support (22), said bolt (21) being then movable in translation relative to the support and being configured to lock and unlock said opening (40), the bolt (21) comprising an orifice (213) passing through it lengthwise;- a cable (24) passing through the orifice (213) of said bolt (21), said cable being configured at its end intended to be furthest from the lock housing with a stop adapted to abut against the end of the bolt (21) and allow said bolt (21) to be pulled towards an unlocked position relative to the support (22); - a hooking device (25) being connected to the end of cable (24) opposite to that which has a stop, said device (25) being configured to allow the cable to be hooked to a drive mechanism (12) of a lock housing (10) (1) and allow the cable tension to be adjusted; and - a return spring (23) intended to be mounted on the support (22) to push the bolt (21) back into a locked position.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the hooking device (25) includes a fixing means adapted to be projected onto a rod guide (121) of the drive mechanism (12).

3. Device (20) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the bolt (21) and the support (22) comprise: - one, a first and a second stop (222, 223), - the other, a groove (211) and a ring system (212) mounted in the groove (211), the cable (24) being configured to pull the bolt (21) to an unlocked position where the ring system (212) is abutted against one of the stops (222, 223), the return spring (23) being configured to push the bolt (21) back to a locked position where the ring system (212) is abutted against the other of the stops (222, 223).

4. Device (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a hood (27) mounted on the support (22), the hood (27) comprising a fixing hole (270) extending over one face of the hood (27).

5. Lock (1) with rod locking device(s), the lock (1) comprising a housing (10) and a rod device(s) (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the housing (10) being configured to be mounted on an opening (40) and comprising a cylinder (11) and a drive mechanism (12) movable in translation relative to the housing (10), the cable (24) being connected to the drive mechanism (12), the cylinder (11) being configured to drive said mechanism (12).

6. Lock (1) according to claim 5, wherein the housing (10) is configured to be surface-mounted on a face (41) of an opening (40).

7. Method of mounting a lock (1) with a rod locking device (20) according to any one of claims 5 and 6, the method comprising: - mounting (E30) the bolt (21) in the support (22); - placing (E40) the cable (24) through the orifice (213) of the bolt (21); and - placing (E50) the hooking device (25) on the drive mechanism (12) of a lock case to ensure the hooking of the cable.

8. Assembly method according to claim 7, further comprising: - an assembly (E20) of the bolt support (22) on an opening (40).

9. Method according to claim 8, wherein the method further comprises a step (E60) of adjusting a cable tension (24) by the hooking device.

10. A method according to any one of claims 8 and 9, further comprising an installation (E70) of a hood (27) in a hood support (26) projecting from a face (16) of the housing (10).

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