Door locking device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a locking device (1) for a door, in particular a sliding door (10), with at least one leaf (11). The locking device comprises a housing part (2) and a locking element (5) held by the housing part (2), which is used for locking and unlocking the at least one leaf (11) in a closed or open position. The locking element (5) is slidable along a sliding direction (V) relative to the housing part (2) and tiltable about a rotation axis (R1), such that both the sliding and tilting of the locking element (5) alternatively allows locking and unlocking of the at least one leaf (11). The present invention additionally relates to a door, in particular a sliding door (10), with such a locking device (1).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a locking device for a door, in particular a sliding door, having at least one leaf which can be locked or unlocked.The invention also relates to a door comprising such a locking device. [Background technology]

[0002] Sliding doors with at least one, and often two, movable leaves have long been known in the art. The leaf or leaves can usually be moved perpendicularly to the passage direction, for example so that a passage through a wall opening of a building can be opened or closed. In particular, automatic sliding doors are also known in the art, in which the leaf or leaves do not have to be moved manually to open or close, but rather this is achieved by a drive motor. The sliding door can be provided with presence sensors on both sides, so that the approach of a person immediately triggers automatic opening of the sliding door.

[0003] In many sliding doors used today, it is desirable to be able to lock the door in the closed position, for example to prevent unauthorized access at a certain time. For this purpose, the prior art provides corresponding locking devices with the most diverse embodiments.

[0004] For example, US Pat. No. 5,399,633 discloses a locking device which includes a locking lever provided with a hook-shaped end which can be tilted for unlocking. The tilting can be automatic via an electromagnet on the one hand, or manually via a cable on the other hand.

[0005] The locking device disclosed in Patent Document 2 has an electromagnet that allows the locking element to be lowered toward the door to lock or raised to unlock. Manual unlocking is possible by lifting the locking element using an unlocking bolt.

[0006] Patent document 3 discloses a locking device including an electromagnet, which moves a locking element against a spring force towards the door and causes the lock. This action brings a metal disk into contact with a suction cup, so that the lock remains even after the electromagnet is switched off. In the event of a power failure, the lock can be manually unlocked via a cable attached to the locking element.

[0007] In the electrical locking device for sliding doors disclosed in the patent application WO 2005 / 023363, a locking element can be tilted between an open and a closed position. This can be achieved manually by rotating an actuation knob attached to the locking element via a shaft. Alternatively, unlocking and locking can be performed via an electromagnet, which also causes the rotation of the locking bolt.

[0008] A disadvantage of the locking devices described in the above-mentioned documents is that in the event of a power failure, the locking element remains exactly in the selected position. This can lead to serious damage if the power failure is caused, for example, by a fire, since in this case the door must either be locked, for example to prevent the spread of a fire, or automatically opened depending on the situation, to allow escapees to pass through. However, automatic opening or closing of the door by means of an electric door drive or a purely mechanical, for example spring-activated, emergency drive can only take place if this is enabled by the locking device.

[0009] Furthermore, the above-mentioned locking devices have the disadvantage that in the event of a malfunction, especially a breakdown, of the electrical or manual components, this in any case also blocks the other components, so that a situation may arise in which the door can no longer be opened, even in an emergency.

[0010] Furthermore, many locking devices in the prior art are relatively complex in design and comprise a large number of components, which complicates not only manufacture but also retrofitting or subsequent replacement. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] China Patent Application Publication No. 102127994 [Patent Document 2] China Utility Model No. 211691917 [Patent Document 3] French Patent Application Publication No. 2919885 [Patent Document 4] DE 19835678 A1 Summary of the Invention

[0012] The object of the present invention is to define an easily manufactured and flexibly used locking device for doors, which preferably allows both automatic and manual locking and unlocking and, advantageously, is capable of going into a predefined state in case of a power failure.

[0013] To this end, a locking device is proposed according to claim 1. Furthermore, claim 13 describes a door having a locking device of this kind. Further embodiments are given in the dependent claims.

[0014] The invention therefore relates to a locking device for a door, in particular a sliding door, with at least one leaf, comprising: Housing parts and a locking element carried by the housing part, which is used to lock and unlock at least one door in a closed or open position; The present invention provides a locking device comprising:

[0015] The locking element is capable of both sliding relative to the housing part along a sliding direction and tilting around a rotation axis, and both sliding and tilting of the locking element enable selective locking and unlocking of at least one door.

[0016] With the proposed locking device there are therefore at least two alternative ways of locking and unlocking one or more doors. The locking element is on the one hand slidable along a sliding direction and on the other hand tiltable about a rotation axis. This means that the locking device can be manufactured particularly simply and very flexibly. In particular, the sliding and tilting of the locking element can be provided for different purposes of locking and unlocking. For example, automatic, i.e. electrotechnical, pneumatic or hydraulic based locking and unlocking can slide the locking element and a manual mechanism for manual locking and unlocking can tilt the locking element or vice versa. This makes it particularly easy to design the locking device in such a way that in the event of an unexpected power failure the locking device assumes a predefined state, in particular a locked or unlocked state. Retaining elements, such as, for example, spring elements and / or end position magnets, can be provided in order to move the locking element to a desired predefined position in the event of a power failure or to hold it in an already envisaged position.

[0017] The two degrees of freedom of the locking element, i.e. sliding and tilting, also make it possible, for example, to decouple automatic, i.e. electro-technical, locking and unlocking from manual locking and unlocking, so that a malfunction, e.g. failure of one part (drive or manual mechanism), does not necessarily lead to a disturbance of another part.

[0018] Locking and unlocking is preferably possible both, on the one hand, by purely sliding the locking element and, on the other hand, by purely tilting the locking element.

[0019] The locking element may be tilted, preferably about a rotation axis that runs parallel to the sliding direction, advantageously through the housing part. The locking element may be particularly preferably tilted, i.e. pivoted, about a rotation axis defined by a rod-shaped element. The rod-shaped element is preferably a push rod that is displaceable along its longitudinal direction, such that the push rod slides the locking element along the sliding direction. This makes the manufacture of the locking device particularly simple.

[0020] The door is preferably a sliding door, and further preferably the locking element serves to immovably connect and lock the two panels of the sliding door to one another. For this purpose, the locking element preferably has a clip-shaped, in particular C-shaped, element which in the locked state forms a stop for a stop element attached to each panel. This means that in the locked state, the stop elements of the two panels are preferably arranged inside the clip-shaped element along the opening direction of the sliding door, and are thus prevented from being moved away from one another. In this case, there is no risk of the two panels being moved away from one another, i.e. the sliding door is locked.

[0021] The stop elements of the two doors may be, for example, elements protruding upwards or in the passageway direction, such as hooks, bolts, pins or blocks, each of which preferably has a stop surface facing in the opening direction, which serves to abut against the locking element in the locked state.

[0022] Of course, the locking device may also be used to lock a sliding door with only one leaf, in which case, also in a further embodiment, the stationary locking device preferably forms a stop for the single leaf in the locked state, thus preventing the leaf from being moved.

[0023] In the case of a sliding door with two leaves, the locking element preferably forms two or more stops, in particular exactly two stops, which serve to prevent movement of the doors in the locked state. In the case of a sliding door with only one leaf, the locking element preferably forms one or more such stops, in particular exactly one such stop.

[0024] However, the doors do not necessarily have to be sliding doors, although sliding doors are preferred. Thus, the above-described locking device may be used, for example, with hinged or swinging doors. If the doors are sliding doors, at least one of the leaves can be slid, preferably perpendicular to the door passage direction, i.e. along the wall forming the door opening, to close or open the door opening.

[0025] The locking element preferably functions to lock and unlock the at least one door in the closed position, i.e., to prevent the at least one door from being opened in the locked state to free the door opening. However, in some embodiments, it is actually conceivable that the locking element also functions to lock and unlock the at least one door in the open position, in which case the locking element would prevent the at least one door from being closed in the locked state.

[0026] The sliding direction in which the locking element can be moved back and forth relative to the preferably stationary housing part preferably extends parallel to the door passage direction and advantageously also extends perpendicular to the direction in which the at least one leaf can be slid to close or open the door opening.

[0027] In one preferred embodiment, the locking device further comprises a torsion spring which exerts a torsional force on the locking element about the axis of rotation in order to keep the locking element in a locked or unlocked state for at least one door. The torsion force exerted by the torsion spring is particularly preferably used to keep and / or bring the locking element into the locked state. In this case, the locking element can thus be tilted and brought into the unlocked state by overcoming the torsion force.

[0028] In one preferred embodiment, the locking device further comprises a compression spring which applies a compression force to the locking element to keep it in a state where at least one door is locked or unlocked and / or to bring the locking element into one of these states. The locking element is thus preferably subjected to a corresponding compression force by the compression spring. The compression spring preferably serves to slide the locking element along the sliding direction and / or to hold the locking element in a position along the sliding direction. In this case, the compression spring can be used to protect a predetermined state of the locking device, in particular of the locking element in the event of an unexpected power failure.

[0029] In one particularly preferred embodiment, the locking device comprises a combined compression-torsion spring which exerts both a compression force and a torsion force on the locking element in order to keep the locking element in a locked or unlocked state for at least one door. The combined compression-torsion spring, which may in particular be designed as a coil spring, therefore advantageously performs the functions of both the abovementioned compression spring and the abovementioned torsion spring.

[0030] The locking element is preferably tiltable about an axis of rotation against a torsional force applied to the locking element by a combined compression-torsion spring to unlock at least one door. The torsional force applied by the combined compression-torsion spring preferably maintains the locking element in a locked state.

[0031] Further, the locking element is preferably slidable along the sliding direction to unlock the at least one door against the compressive force exerted by the combined compression-torsion spring.

[0032] Depending on the embodiment, the locking device is preferably designed to retain a previously assumed state with regard to unlocking or locking in the event of a power failure, but may also be designed to assume a predefined state. If a previously assumed state is to be retained, preferably one or more retaining elements, for example one or more end position magnets, are provided so that the locking element is in each case retained in the previously assumed sliding position even in the event of a power failure. The end position magnet or magnets may in particular each be a permanent magnet.

[0033] The compression force exerted by a compression spring, particularly a combined compression-torsion spring, can be used to keep the locking element in a locked state and / or to bring the locking element into a locked state in the event of a power failure, so that in the event of a power failure the locking element can automatically assume the locked state based on the spring force.

[0034] However, in another embodiment, it may be preferred that the locking element is slidable along the sliding direction to lock at least one door against a compressive force exerted by a combined compression-torsion spring. The compressive force exerted by a compression spring, in particular a combined compression-torsion spring, may be used to keep the locking element in an unlocked state and / or to bring the locking element into a locked state in the event of a power failure, so that in the event of a power failure the locking element can automatically assume the unlocked state based on the spring force.

[0035] In order to slide the locking element against the compression force of a compression spring, in particular a compression torsion spring, the locking device preferably also has a sliding device. The sliding device is preferably an electromagnetic sliding device. The sliding device may in particular comprise a solenoid. By means of a solenoid, the sliding of the locking element can be achieved in a particularly simple manner. The use of another electromagnetic element rather than a solenoid is also conceivable.

[0036] The sliding device can preferably be actuated to bring the locking device into the unlocked and / or locked state. In the case of an electromagnetic sliding device, this is preferably actuated such that e.g. a live wire, in particular a wire coil, of the magnet, in particular a solenoid, is energized. Thus, to change the state of the sliding device from "unlocked" to "locked" or vice versa, a current can be momentarily passed through the electromagnetic sliding device, in particular a solenoid. To move the sliding device in the opposite direction, depending on the embodiment, for example a restoring force of a spring can be used and / or a current can be passed through the sliding device with a reverse voltage. The electromagnetic sliding device can have one or more holding elements, preferably one or more end position magnets, to keep the sliding device in a predetermined position even when the sliding device is not actuated. Alternatively, the holding elements can be, for example, one or more suction cups.

[0037] In another embodiment, the sliding device may have an operating state in which it holds the locking element in an unlocked state. In the case of an electromagnetic sliding device, this operating state is achieved by energizing, for example, a live wire, in particular a wire coil, of a preferably magnet, in particular a solenoid. In this case, in the event of a power failure, the locking element is moved by a compressive force, preferably exerted by a compression spring, into a position in which the locking element locks at least one door.

[0038] In yet another embodiment, however, the sliding device may have an operating state in which it holds the locking element in the locked state. In the case of an electromagnetic sliding device, this operating state is also preferably adopted by energizing a live wire, in particular a wire coil, of a magnet, in particular a solenoid. In this case, in the event of a power failure, the locking element is moved by a compressive force, preferably exerted by a compression spring, into a position in which the locking element unlocks at least one door.

[0039] It is further preferred that the locking device has a tilting device for tilting the locking element against the torsional force of a torsion spring, in particular a compression torsion spring. The tilting device is preferably a purely mechanical tilting device, i.e. a device designed to tilt the locking element by a purely mechanical action. The tilting device is preferably a device that is manually operated by a user, thus allowing the user to manually lock or unlock the door.

[0040] The tilting device advantageously comprises an actuating element which can be moved by a user to tilt the locking element to unlock or lock the at least one door, the actuating element being advantageously actuated by at least one spring element with a spring force in the direction of the reference position.

[0041] The actuating element is preferably pivotable about a second axis of rotation extending perpendicularly to the first axis of rotation, about which the locking element is tiltable. Particularly preferably, the second axis of rotation is defined by a rod-shaped element about which the actuating element is pivotable, i.e. rotatable.

[0042] In principle, it is possible that the locking element is automatically slidable by a sliding device and can be tilted manually by the user, or that the locking element is tiltable automatically by a tilting device and can be slid manually by the user. In this case, automatic operation or tilting means that the locking element is moved or tilted by technical means, such as a solenoid or hydraulic drive. This differs from manual operation or tilting, in which the locking element is moved or tilted by muscle force, which can be assisted, for example, by a spring force.

[0043] At least one Bowden cable is preferably provided for manually tilting or sliding the locking element.

[0044] The locking element preferably has one or more engagement elements, in particular one or more engagement pins, each extending parallel to the sliding direction and serving to engage, when locked, with one or more locking hooks attached to the door. The locking hooks are preferably designed to engage with the locking element in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction. Depending on the embodiment, the engagement pins may be removably attached to the rest of the locking element or may be formed integrally with the locking element.

[0045] The locking hooks each preferably have an inclined surface which serves to abut against the locking element during closing or opening of the respective door so as to bias the locking element. Preferably, one or more of the inclined surfaces abut against the locking element during closing (or opening) of the door, thereby biasing the locking element. However, as soon as the door is fully closed (or opened), the locking element advantageously pivots back again, for example by a spring force, so that the locking hooks engage with the locking element.

[0046] The engaging element can be arranged arbitrarily on the locking element, preferably in such a way that it extends outwardly from the front or rear of the locking element with respect to the sliding direction. This kind of arbitrarily possible arrangement of the engaging element on the locking element offers the advantage that the locking device can be adapted very easily with regard to its function in the event of a power failure. Depending on whether the engaging element extends in one direction or the other, the locking device can be defaulted to a locked or unlocked state in the event of a power failure. For this purpose, one or more drill holes are preferably provided on the locking element, into which the engaging element can be screwed from both sides. The locking element is preferably constructed generally in a plate-like manner.

[0047] The locking device preferably has an overall compact design, with at least the locking element and, if present, the sliding device and / or the tilting device being advantageously mounted in or on a housing part, so that the locking device can be attached to the door only by mounting it on the housing part. In particular, the locking device may overall have a substantially rectangular or cubic configuration, i.e. the housing parts, the locking element and, if present, the sliding device and / or the tilting device together define, with their respective outer surfaces or edges, the approximate shape of a rectangular or cubic prism.

[0048] The invention also relates to a door, in particular a sliding door, comprising at least one leaf and a locking device as described above for locking the at least one leaf in a closed or open position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0049] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings are only for illustrating the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the locking device according to the present invention, seen obliquely from above and behind. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the locking device shown in FIG. 1 in a locked state, i.e., with the lock hooks attached to each door engaged therewith. [Diagram 3] 2 is a plan view showing the locking device shown in FIG. 1 in a locked state, as viewed from above. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the locking device shown in FIG. 1, seen obliquely from above and rearward. [Diagram 5] 2 is a perspective view of a part of the locking device shown in FIG. 1, seen obliquely from above and front. [Figure 6] 6 is an exploded perspective view of a part of the locking device shown in FIG. 5, seen obliquely from above and front. [Figure 7]FIG. 6 is a top front perspective view of a portion of the locking device shown in FIG. 5 with a modified locking element. [Figure 8] 8 is an exploded perspective view of a part of the locking device shown in FIG. 7, seen obliquely from above and front. [Figure 9a] 2A and 2B are front and top plan views (top) and (bottom) of the locking device shown in FIG. 1 in an unlocked state with the door at least partially open; [Figure 9b] 9b shows a plan view from the front (top) and from above (bottom) of the locking device shown in FIG. 9a in an unlocked state when the door is closed. [Figure 9c] 9b shows a plan view from the front (top) and a plan view from above (bottom) of the locking device shown in FIG. 9a in a locked state with the door closed. [Figure 10a] 2A and 2B are a front plan view (top) and a top plan view (bottom) of the locking device shown in FIG. 1 in a locked state with the door at least partially open. [Figure 10b] 10b shows a plan view (top) of the locking device shown in FIG. 10a when viewed from the front, and a plan view (bottom) of the locking device when viewed from the front and from above when the door is closing. [Figure 10c] 10b shows a plan view from the front (top) and a plan view from above (bottom) of the locking device shown in FIG. 10a in a locked state with the door closed. [Figure 11a] 2 is a plan view showing the locking device shown in FIG. 1 in a manually unlocked state as seen from the side. FIG. [Figure 11b] FIG. 11b is a front plan view of the locking device shown in FIG. [Figure 11c] FIG. 11b is a plan view of the locking device shown in FIG. 11a, seen from above. [Figure 12] 2 is a schematic diagram showing a sliding door equipped with the locking device shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the front. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a locking device according to another embodiment of the present invention, as viewed obliquely from above and behind; [Figure 14] 14 is a perspective view of the locking device shown in FIG. 13, seen obliquely from above and ahead. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0050] In figures 1 to 11c one embodiment of a locking device 1 is shown in different views and states. In figure 12 a sliding door is shown which is equipped with a locking device of this kind. In figures 13 and 14 another different embodiment of a locking device 1, also according to the invention, is shown. Elements which are obviously identical or have a similar action and which appear twice or several times are respectively provided below with the same reference numbers.

[0051] In the following, position and orientation indications such as above, below, vertical, horizontal, upwards, downwards etc. each relate to a locking device mounted on a door, in particular a sliding door, in its intended manner, where the suspension device is typically arranged above the leaf or leaves with respect to the direction of gravity and is usually mounted on a fixed part of the wall or the door. In this case, position and orientation indications such as front, forward, rear and rear etc. each relate to a locking device mounted in its intended manner, where the element of the locking device arranged closest to the wall is located at the front and the element of the locking device spaced furthest from the wall is located at the rear.

[0052] In Figures 1 to 3, the locking device 1 is shown in a locked state with the door closed. The locking device 1 can be used in particular with a sliding door 10 having two doors, as shown in Figure 12. In this case, the locking device 1 is arranged centrally and fixedly at the upper edge of the door passage opening and is used to lock two doors 11 together in a closed position, each of which can slide in the closing direction (along the direction of the arrows shown in Figure 12, i.e. perpendicular to the passage opening).

[0053] As is particularly clear from figures 1, 2 and 3, the locking device 1 comprises a housing part 2, which is preferably manufactured in one piece, for example from sheet metal, which by a lower side, two opposite side surfaces and a front with a retaining tab 23 defines an interior of the locking device 1, in which the locking element 5, in particular the combined compression-torsion spring 6, the sliding device and the tilting device are accommodated.

[0054] The housing part 2 has a bottom plate 21 which has a generally flat design and forms a base which defines the interior of the locking device 1. Towards two opposite lateral sides, the bottom plate 21 merges into a side plate 25, respectively. The two side plates 25 each extend vertically upwards from a lateral outer edge of the bottom plate 21. At the upper end of each side plate 25, a mounting tab 26 extends vertically outwards. Each of the two side plates 25 is provided with a continuous mounting hole 27, which serves to mount the locking device 1 to a stationary element of a door or to an element fixed to a wall.

[0055] The side plates 25 each have through holes 28 formed at the same height, i.e. opposite each other, which are used to hold the pivot rods 4. The bottom plate 21 has various holes which are used to mount slide devices.

[0056] Towards the front, the bottom plate 21 merges into a protruding plate portion 22, which is an extension of the bottom plate 21 beyond the area of ​​the side plate 25 defined in the laterally direction. From the front edge of the protruding plate portion 22 a retaining tab 23 extends to approximately half the height of the side plate 25. The retaining tab 23 is formed with a central through hole 24 which is used to guide the push rod 71. As can be seen in Figures 5 and 6, the retaining tab 23 extends to one side, in this case to the right in the front view (Figure 2), to a support element 29 which protrudes laterally from the retaining tab 23.

[0057] A sliding device is attached to the bottom plate 21 of the housing part 2, which is particularly clearly visible in Figs. 4 to 6. The sliding device comprises a solenoid 7, a push rod 71, a stop element 72 and a bearing ring 73. The solenoid 7 attached to the bottom plate 21 is used to slide the push rod 71 attached to the solenoid 7 back and forth along its longitudinal direction, i.e. along the sliding direction V, which is indicated by a double arrow in Figs. 3 and 5. The solenoid 7 is an electrical component known per se, which, when activated, i.e. when powered, exerts a linear force on the push rod 71 attached to the solenoid 7, pulling the push rod 71 along its longitudinal direction, i.e. along the sliding direction V, towards the solenoid 7 against the compressive force exerted by the combined compression-torsion spring 6 on the locking element 5 and thus also on the push rod 71. The solenoid 7 has an end position magnet (not shown) to hold the solenoid 7 (and thus the push rod 71 and the locking element 5) in a predetermined position when the solenoid 7 is deactivated after an operation has been performed.

[0058] To move the push rod 71 and the locking element 5 forward along the sliding direction V, i.e. away from the solenoid 7, a reverse polarity voltage is applied to the solenoid 7, which exerts a forward force on the push rod 71 and the locking element 5 along the sliding direction V. The forward displacement of the locking element 5 is also supported by the restoring force of the combined compression-torsion spring 6, such that the pulling forces exerted by the end position magnets are totally overcome.

[0059] In the region of its front end, the push rod 71 extends through a through hole 24 in the retaining tab 23. In its forward and backward movements, the push rod 71 is guided laterally by the through hole 24. To improve the guiding, as in this case, a bearing ring 73 can be arranged in the through hole 24.

[0060] At the front side, but in the area rearward of the through-bore 24, the push rod 71 has a circumferential groove into which a stop element 72 is snapped into place.

[0061] The locking element 5 is held by the push rod 71 so as to be tiltable around the push rod 71. In other words, the locking element 5 is attached to the push rod 71 so as to be rotatable around a first rotation axis R1 extending along the longitudinal direction of the push rod 71 and thus along the sliding direction V. The locking element 5 is integrally formed as a whole and has a generally flat plate-like configuration with a wide lower portion, a narrow connecting portion, and a wide upper portion. The wide upper portion is formed by two operating pieces 54 that protrude laterally outward from each other. A central through hole 51 is formed in the wide lower portion, and the push rod 71 extends through the central through hole 51. Continuous holes 53 are provided on both sides of the through hole 51. An engagement pin 52 is inserted or fixed in each hole 53, for example by screwing or press fitting, so as to protrude forward from the locking element 5.

[0062] Alternatively, the locking elements 5 can be rotated 180° and mounted on the push rods 71 ​​such that the engagement pins 52 each project rearward from the locking element 5 instead of forward. This variant of the locking element 5 is shown in Figures 7 and 8. Alternatively, instead of rotating the entire locking element 5, the engagement pins 52 can be mounted on the opposite side of the locking element 5.

[0063] The manner in which the engagement pin 52 is attached to the locking element 5, shown in Figures 5 and 6, is intended for use with a sliding door 10 that is normally locked in the event of a power failure. In this case, a power failure deactivates the solenoid 7, and the locking element 5 is automatically displaced forward by the combined compression-torsion spring 6. As a result, the engagement pin 52 is located at the height of the locking hook 9, which engages with the locking hook 9 when the sliding door 10 is closed, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. This locks the sliding door 10.

[0064] 7 and 8, on the other hand, are intended for a sliding door 10 that is to be automatically unlocked in the event of a power failure. In this case too, the solenoid 7 is deactivated in the event of a power failure, which causes the locking element 5 to slide forward by the combined compression-torsion spring 6. However, this causes the engagement pin 52 to slide forward so that it is no longer aligned with the locking hook 9. As a result, the locking hook 9 can no longer engage with the engagement pin 52, which causes the sliding door 10 to be unlocked, i.e., released.

[0065] Therefore, by rotating the locking element 5, the function of automatically locking or unlocking the sliding door 10 by the locking device 1 in the event of a power outage can be flexibly and very simply switched.

[0066] The push rod 71 extends partially inside the combined compression-torsion spring 6, which at its first end forms a rear stop for the housing of the solenoid 7 and at its second end forms a front stop for the locking element 5. The combined compression-torsion spring 6 thereby exerts a forward pressure on the locking element 5 along the sliding direction V. The locking element 5 is thereby pressed by the combined compression-torsion spring 6 against a stop element 72 attached to the push rod 71.

[0067] However, the combined compression-torsion spring 6 not only exerts pressure on the locking element 5, but also exerts a torsion force on the locking element 5. In the front view (FIG. 2), this torsion force is directed clockwise. To be able to exert a compression force and a torsion force, the combined compression-torsion spring 6 is correspondingly preloaded and attached to the solenoid 7 and to the locking element 5. The torsion force exerted by the combined compression-torsion spring 6 causes the locking element 5 to rotate clockwise relative to the retaining tab 23 until one of the engagement pins 52 is located on the support element 29 (see FIG. 2). In this position, the actuating pieces 54 of the locking element 5 each extend horizontally outwards.

[0068] The locking element 5 is primarily used to lock the two doors 11 (FIG. 12) of the sliding door 10 in the closed state with its engagement pins 52. For this purpose, a locking hook 9 designed to engage with one of the engagement pins 52 is attached to each door 11. In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, one locking hook 9 preferably has an end hook protruding downwards, and the other locking hook 9 has an end hook protruding upwards. As can be seen for example in FIG. 3, in horizontal cross section, the locking element 5 forms a bracket or C-shaped member with its two engagement pins 52, which is used to hold the two closed doors 11 together, by the locking hooks 9 attached to each door 11 engaging the locking element 5 from opposite sides. As a result, the two doors 11 can no longer move away from each other and are thus locked by the locking element 5.

[0069] As can be clearly seen in Fig. 2, the locking hooks 9 each have an inclined surface 91 in the region of their end hooks, which in each case serves to abut one of the engagement pins 52 when the door 11 is closed, and thus to tilt the locking element 5. This can be seen particularly clearly in Fig. 10a and 10b, in each case in the upper diagram. By tilting the locking elements 5 against the torsional force exerted by the combined compression-torsion spring 6, the locking hooks 9 can be moved horizontally with their end hooks towards one another and over the engagement pins 52. As soon as the end hooks pass the engagement pins 52 and the doors 11 abut against one another with their main closing edges in the closed position, the locking elements 5 are tilted back to their basic position, as shown in the upper diagram of Fig. 10c. In this case, the engagement pins 52 are engaged from the back by the locking hooks 9, whereby the sliding door 10 is not only closed but also locked.

[0070] The pivot rod 4 extends through two through holes 28 in the side plate 25 and thus perpendicular to the sliding direction V. In each end region, the pivot rod 4 has a circumferential groove into which a mounting ring 41 snaps, thereby holding the pivot rod 4 in the housing part 2.

[0071] The pivot rod 4 holds the unlocking plate 3 such that the unlocking plate 3 can pivot about the pivot rod 4. The pivot rod 4 thereby forms a second axis of rotation R2, about which the unlocking plate 3 can pivot. The unlocking plate 3 forms a tilting device that is used to tilt the locking element 5.

[0072] The unlocking plate 3 is made in one piece and is manufactured, for example, from a metal sheet. It has a flat main part 31 from which fastening tabs 32 extend downwards towards each side via a bend. The fastening tabs are each formed with through holes 33 facing each other, through which the pivot rods 4 extend. The unlocking plate 3 is thus pivotally held on the housing part 2 via the pivot rods 4. As can be seen in FIG. 4, in its front area, on the right side as seen from the front, the flat main part 31 transitions via a bend into an actuating element 34 which extends vertically downwards from the main part 31. The actuating element 34 is provided on only one side of the unlocking plate 3 and projects slightly forward in comparison with the main part 31.

[0073] The main part 31 is slightly wider in the area behind the fastening tabs 32 and has right-angled slots 35 on both sides there. The right-angled slots 35 each extend continuously through the unlocking plate 3 from the side edges of the main part 31 slightly inwards along the vertical and horizontal directions and then vertically towards the rear.

[0074] For manual tilting of the locking element 5, a Bowden cable 8 is provided, which can be seen clearly in particular in FIG. 4. Here, the Bowden cable 8 is divided into two parts, i.e. into two identically designed parts. The Bowden cable 8 is used for manually unlocking the locking device 1. For example, one part of the Bowden cable 8 can be used for manual unlocking from one side of the door and the other part of the Bowden cable 8 can be used for manual unlocking from the other side. In another embodiment, it is entirely possible to manufacture the Bowden cable 8 only in one piece. For the sake of simplicity, the design of the Bowden cable 8 is described below using only one of these two parts.

[0075] The Bowden cable 8 has an inner wire 81 which runs as a rule inside the sleeve 82 and is used to transmit tensile forces. In another embodiment, the sleeve 82 may have a pressure-resistant design so that the Bowden cable 8 also serves to transmit compressive forces. The sleeve 82 terminates at a distance slightly below the housing part 2. The inner wire 81 runs from there in a hole in the bottom plate 21 of the housing part 2 along the vertical direction to the unlocking plate 3. The inner wire 81 therefore runs in particular perpendicular to the second axis of rotation R2. In the region of its upper end, the inner wire 81 runs through one of the right-angle slots 35 in the unlocking plate 3. Directly above the right-angle slot 35, an end clamp 88 is attached to the inner wire 81.

[0076] In the region of the hole in the bottom plate 21, the inner wire 81 runs through a threaded sleeve 82. The threaded sleeve 82 has an external thread, onto which a first fastening nut 85 and a second fastening nut 86 are screwed. The two fastening nuts 85, 86 bear against the bottom plate 21 from opposite sides, thus fastening the threaded sleeve 82 to the housing part 2. In the lower region, the thread 83 has a radially protruding stop element 84 against which the sleeve 82 bears downwards. In the region between the housing part 2 and the unlocking plate 3, the inner wire 81 runs longitudinally through a coil spring 87. Here, the coil spring 87 bears with its lower end against the second fastening nut 86 and with its upper end against the underside of the unlocking plate 3.

[0077] The coil spring 87 is a compression spring that exerts an upward force on the unlocking plate 3. The unlocking plate 3 is pivotally attached to the pivot rod 4, which presses the actuating element 34 downwards.

[0078] The operation of the locking device 1 will be described below with reference to Figures 9a to 9c, 10a to 10c, and 11a to 11c. Figures 9a to 9c show automatic locking and automatic unlocking, Figures 10a to 10c show automatic locking during a power outage, and Figures 11a to 11c show manual locking and manual unlocking.

[0079] In Fig. 9a, the sliding door 10 is open and the locking device 1 is unlocked. To achieve this state, the solenoid 7 has been pre-activated, which causes the locking element 5 to be attracted towards it via the push rod 71 against the bias applied by the combined compression-torsion spring 6. In the unlocked state shown in Fig. 9a, the solenoid 7 is deactivated and the locking element 5 is held in place by the end position magnet (not shown). The force of attraction acting on the locking element 5 by the end position magnet thus exceeds the bias applied to the locking element 5 by the combined compression-torsion spring 6. As can be seen in the lower view of Fig. 9a and Fig. 9b, respectively, in this position of the locking element 5, the engagement pin 52 is outside the plane containing the locking hook 9 and therefore the door 11 is released. Even when closing the sliding door 10, the locking hook 9 does not engage the engagement pin 52 (Fig. 9b). However, when the door 11 is closed and the sliding door 10 is to be locked, a reverse voltage is applied to the solenoid 7, which causes it to exert a forward force on the push rod 71. In this way, and with additional support from the combined compression-torsion spring 6, the locking element 5 is slid forward, so that the engagement pin 52 is in the plane of the locking hook 9, as shown in FIG. 9c. As the locking hook 9 is engaged with the engagement pin 52, the door 11 can no longer move away from each other and is thus locked. When the locking element 5 reaches the locked position shown in FIG. 9c, the solenoid 7 can be deactivated. The locking element 5 is then held in place by the pressing force exerted by the combined compression-torsion spring 6 and possibly by means of a further end position magnet.

[0080] In Fig. 10a, the situation is shown in which the sliding door 10 is open and the locking device 1 is locked. Here, the solenoid 7 is in a deactivated state, which may here be caused by a power failure, but may also be caused by the control system, for example, in order to automatically lock the sliding door 10 after closing of business in the evening. The solenoid 7 therefore exerts no force on the locking element 5, which is slid forward by the combined compression-torsion spring 6, so that the engagement pin 52 is located in the plane of the locking hook 9 (Fig. 10a, lower view). When the doors 11 are moved towards each other, for example, manually or automatically by a drive (activated for example by the control system), i.e. towards the position of closing the door opening, the locking hooks 9 strike the engagement pins 52 from the outside with their inclined faces 91. The inclined surface 91 presses the engagement pin 52 downwards or upwards, as shown in the upper diagram of Fig. 10b, so that the locking element 5 is tilted against the torsion force exerted by the combined compression-torsion spring 6. Thus, as soon as the doors 11 abut against each other with their main closing edges and the locking hooks 9 pass the engagement pins with their end hooks, the locking element 5 is rotated by the combined compression-torsion spring 6 back to its original position, as shown in Fig. 10c. The locking hooks 9 are then engaged with the engagement pin 52, which prevents the sliding door 10 from being opened by the locking device 1. In this case, the doors 11 can no longer move away from each other and are thus locked.

[0081] The manual unlocking and locking shown in Fig. 11a-c can be used to manually unlock a locked sliding door 10, for example in case of an emergency or malfunction. To do this, the user manually pulls down the inner wire 81 of the Bowden cable 8. As a result, the rear part of the unlocking plate 3 is pulled against the spring force exerted by the coil spring 88 due to the end clamp 88, which causes the unlocking plate 3 to pivot about the pivot rod 4, as shown in Fig. 11a. By pivoting the unlocking plate 3, its actuating element 34 moves upwards. During this, the actuating element 34 hits the underside of one of the two actuating pieces 54 of the locking element 5 and lifts it, thereby tilting the locking element 5 about the push rod 71 against the torsional force exerted by the combined compression-torsion spring 6 (Figs. 11a and 11b). This tilting disengages the engagement pin 52 from the locking hook 9, which releases the door 11 and allows the sliding door 10 to be opened. When the user releases the Bowden cable 8, the unlocking plate 3 pivots back to its original position based on the pushing force applied by the coil spring 87. This also causes the locking element 5 to rotate back to its original position based on the torsion force applied by the combined compression-torsion spring 6. If the sliding door 10 is to be closed and locked again after it has been opened, this can be done by simply pushing the door 11 together by hand. In this case, as shown in Figures 10a-c, the locking hook 9 hits the locking element 5, which tilts it and finally re-engages with the engagement pin 52. It is therefore possible to manually unlock and lock the sliding door 10 even in the event of a power outage.

[0082] In figures 13 and 14, another embodiment of a locking device 1 according to the invention is shown. In contrast to the embodiment shown in figures 1 to 11c, the locking device 1 shown in figures 13 and 14 has a locking element 5 in which the engagement pin 52 is integrally connected to the remaining part of the locking element 5, i.e. the locking element 5 is formed as a whole in one piece. In other respects, the embodiment shown in figures 13 and 14 corresponds in its operation to the embodiment shown in figures 1 to 11c, although some parts, in particular some of them, may differ from those of the embodiment shown in figures 1 to 11c in terms of their dimensions. The locking device 1 shown in figures 13 and 14 is also suitable for use with a sliding door 10 as shown in figure 12.

[0083] The invention described above is of course not limited to the present embodiment, and several modifications are possible. It is conceivable that, for example, instead of the solenoid, another drive, such as, for example, a hydraulic or pneumatic drive or an electric rotary drive, can be provided for moving the push rod 71. In another embodiment, the sliding device does not even have to be a technically driven device, but can be manually operated. It is likewise conceivable that, for example, instead of the Bowden cable 8, an electrically controlled drive is provided. The roles of the manual and technically driven operations for locking and unlocking can thus be reversed. It is also possible to provide a locking device according to the invention in which both the sliding and tilting of the locking element are driven electrically or purely manually by muscle force. The manner in which the locking element is formed and held in the housing part can be completely different in another embodiment. Several other modifications are possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1 Locking device 2 Housing parts 21 Bottom plate 22 Projecting plate part 23 Retention tab 24 Through hole 25 Side Panel 26 Mounting tab 27 Mounting hole 28 Through hole 29 Supporting Elements 3 Unlocking plate 31 Main part 32 Fastening tab 33 Through hole 34 Actuating Elements 35 Right Angle Slot 4 Pivot Rod 41 Mounting ring 5. Rock Elements 51 Through hole 52 Engagement pin 53 holes 54 Actuating piece 6. Compression-torsion combined spring 7 Solenoid 71 Push rod 72 Stopper element 73 Bearing ring 8 Bowden Cable 81 Inner Wire 82 Sleeve 83 Threaded Sleeve 84 Stopper element 85 First fixing nut 86 Second fixing nut 87 Coil Spring 88 Through Hole 9 Locking Hook 91 Slope 10 Sliding Door 11 units R1 First rotation axis R2 Second rotation axis V Slide direction

Claims

1. A locking device (1) for a door, in particular a sliding door (10), with at least one leaf (11), comprising: Housing parts (2), a locking element (5) carried by said housing part (2) for locking and unlocking at least one of said doors (11) in a closed or open position; Equipped with The locking device (1) is characterized in that the locking element (5) can both slide relative to the housing part (2) along a sliding direction (V) and tilt around a rotation axis (R1), and both the sliding and tilting of the locking element (5) can alternatively lock and unlock at least one of the doors (11).

2. 2. The locking device (1) according to claim 1, further comprising a compression spring (6) and a sliding device, the sliding device in particular comprising a solenoid (7) for sliding the locking element (5) along the sliding direction (V) against the compressive force of the compression spring (6).

3. 3. The locking device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the sliding device has an operating state in which the sliding device holds the locking element (5) in an unlocked state or in a locked state.

4. The locking device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a torsion spring (6) and a tilting device (3), for tilting the locking element (5) about the rotation axis (R1) against the torsional force of the torsion spring (6).

5. 5. The locking device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the tilting device (3) comprises an actuating element (34) pivotable about a second axis of rotation (R2) extending perpendicular to the first axis of rotation (R1), about which the locking element (5) is tiltable.

6. The locking device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a combined compression and torsion spring (6) that preferably applies both a compression force along the sliding direction (V) and a torsion force around the rotation axis (R1) to the locking element (5) in order to keep the locking element (5) in a state in which at least one of the doors (11) is locked or unlocked.

7. 4. The locking device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising one or more retaining elements, in particular one or more end position magnets, for keeping the locking element (5) in the unlocked and / or locked state.

8. The locking device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the locking element (5) is automatically slidable by a sliding device and manually tiltable by a user, or is automatically tiltable by a tilting device (3) and manually slidable by a user.

9. 9. The locking device (1) according to claim 8, wherein at least one Bowden cable (8) is provided for manually tilting or sliding the locking element (5).

10. The locking device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the locking element (5) has one or more engagement elements, in particular engagement pins (52), each extending parallel to the sliding direction (V) and having the function of engaging with one or more locking hooks (9) attached to the door when locked.

11. 11. The locking device (1) according to claim 10, wherein the engaging elements can be arranged on the locking element (5) in any way such that they extend outward from the front or from the rear of the locking element (5) with respect to the sliding direction (V).

12. The locking device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the locking device (1) has an overall compact design.

13. A door, in particular a sliding door (10), comprising at least one leaf (11) and a locking device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3 for locking the at least one leaf (11) in a closed or open position.

14. 14. The door according to claim 13, wherein a locking hook (9) is attached to each of the one or more leaves (11), said locking hook being designed to engage with said locking element (5) in a direction perpendicular to said sliding direction (V).

15. 15. The door according to claim 14, wherein the locking hooks (9) each have an inclined surface (91) that functions to abut against the locking element (5) during closing or opening of the respective door (11) so that the locking element (5) tilts.

Images