Button lock

Details Button lock Button lock

1999-03-09

2001-10-09

Gall, Lloyd A. (Department: 3627)

Locks

Special application

For control and machine elements

C070S298000, C070S299000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06298698

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a keyless type button lock in which a house door or another door can be locked or unlocked by operating a button.
REVIEW OF THE RELATED TECHNOLOGY
There are various fastening/unfastening locks for use in a building door or the like, but most locks are so-called deadlocks of cylinder-lock type operated by keys. To lock/unlock a warehouse door or the like whose appearance is not important, a so-called number lock is often used, but usually a key-operated system is overwhelmingly used not only for housing but also for business purposes, as a general embedded type of deadlock.
In the key-operated system of the deadlock or other lock, however, a predetermined combination of a lock and a key including a master key is adapted to function literally as a unity. Therefore, once the key is lost, an intrinsic function is also disadvantageously lost. Furthermore, statistics show that there are remarkably many cases in which locking/unlocking is impossible because the key is forgotten. These disadvantages are also undesirable for crime prevention.
Of course, it is possible in principle to attach a so-called dial lock for use in a safe to a door or the like. It is nearly impossible to actually attach the dial lock to the usual door for reason of structural limitations of both the lock and the door, designing conditions, design problems and the like.
A solution to the problem is described, for example, in the applicant's prior invention disclosure, i.e., Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 71968/1982 (Japanese Patent Publication No. 54951/1987), Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 66055/1994, and the like.
FIGS. 21 and 22
show an example, a so-called tumbler pushing type of button lock
1
in which the lock is fixed to a door surface or the like and a predetermined number of button bodies are pushed in accordance with a keyword indicating a predetermined locking/unlocking combination to operate a cylinder lock and accordingly advance/retreat a dead bolt for locking/unlocking. The button lock
1
comprises a case frame
2
mounted on an outer surface of a door (not shown), a backing plate
4
provided via bridge pipes
3
relative to the case frame
2
on an underside of the door, and a known deadlock
6
having a dead bolt
5
.
The deadlock
6
is lockably/unlockably interconnected to a square mandrel
8
which is interposed between a handle
7
of the case frame
2
and a handle
7
′ of the backing plate
4
for fastening and unfastening the deadlock
6
.
A button body, i.e., a plate tumbler
11
shown in
FIG. 22
, is engaged with each of a set number of cover buttons
10
attached to a cover plate
9
provided on the case frame
2
in a predetermined manner. A middle portion of each tumbler is notched to form a slit notch
12
which can be set in a locked or unlocked condition by means of a key plate (not shown), and upper and lower end portions thereof form hook notches
13
for engaging with a lock spring provided on a reset plate (not shown) to set the tumbler
11
in a pushed condition.
Therefore, in the button lock
1
, an operator can selectively set the number indicated on the cover plate
9
corresponding to the arrangement of the buttons stored in accordance with the designated keyword. When the tumbler
11
is initially attached to the door, the tumbler
11
is set in a stored condition (erected condition) or in a non-stored (inverted) condition. If the arrangement of the buttons in the stored condition has to be changed unexpectedly for any reason, then the erected or inverted conditions of the tumblers
11
need to be selectively changed, which requires detaching the case frame
2
from the door and separating a mechanical portion. The operation of switching the erected/inverted condition of each tumbler
11
is very laborious. Moreover, when the erected/inverted condition needs to be changed frequently the tumbler
11
is disadvantageously deformed by wear and stops working.
A solution to this the problem, described in the applicant's prior invention, i.e., Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 80074/1983 and shown in
FIG. 23
, is a button lock having a rotary button.
In this rotary-button lock, as shown in
FIG. 23
, a button body has a cylindrical head
74
and a block-shaped lower portion with slide notches
13
′ cut into two opposing sides, so that the lower portion presents a different outline when rotated about its axis by 90°.
At a first angle flat surfaces
15
are seen along a direction running between the upper left and the lower right; this direction is the sliding direction for the plate
26
, and
FIG. 23
shows the button body rotated to this first angle.
When the button body is rotated to the second angle the upper and lower (or, left and right) slide notches
13
′ are seen along the sliding direction. The thickness of the slide notches
13
′ is such that they accept a slide notch
17
formed in a key plate
16
; the lengths of the button slide notches
13
′ are set longer than the width of the slide notch
17
. Therefore, in the attitude shown in
FIG. 23
, the key plate
16
cannot be slid relative to the button to reach a locked condition. On the other hand, when the button is rotated 90° via a minus notch (i.e. slot screwdriver notch)
19
formed in a tip end of a shank of the button body and pushed in via a cover button
10
, then the upper slide notch
13
′ is engaged in the slide notch
17
of the key plate
16
. Therefore, the key plate
16
can be slid relative to the button.
Therefore, the handle
7
of
FIG. 21
can be turned right or left (directions R or L) to operate the deadlock
6
via the square mandrel
8
and relatively move the dead bolt
5
for locking/unlocking.
Still referring to
FIG. 23
, when the lower slide notch
13
′ of the button is opposed to the slide notch
17
of the key plate
16
and the slide notch
17
interferes with shoulder portion
20
′, a “non-stored” condition is set in which the key plate
16
is not slidable. On the other hand, by turning the button 90° via the screwdriver notch
19
in the tip end of the shank, a “stored” condition is maintained by pushing the button against a spring
21
and engaging a hook spring
24
in a lower reset plate slide notch
23
in an annular spring notch
25
formed in an upper portion of the screwdriver notch
19
of the shank.
In the stored condition, since the upper slide notch
13
′ is engaged with the slide notch
17
of the key plate
16
, the key plate
16
can be slid and the handle
7
can be rotated to unlock the deadlock
6
via the square mandrel
8
, so that the dead bolt
5
can be retreated.
In
FIG. 23
, numeral
26
denotes a presser plate of the key plate
16
,
27
denotes a back plate of the pressure plate
26
,
28
denotes a snap washer pressed against the key plate
16
via the presser plate
26
and the back plate
27
,
29
denotes another back plate,
30
denotes a backing plate, and
31
denotes elastic springs for applying return forces.
A remaining problem is as follows:
In the button lock having the rotary button shown in
FIG. 23
, the locked condition of the key plate
16
relative to the button is set by the shoulder portion
20
′ of the slide notch
17
. The shoulder portion
20
′ abuts against the slide notches
13
′ with a high frequency, causing friction. If the key plate
16
is of zinc, which is the commonly-used metal for such parts, then wear is excessive and the locked condition is not secure. When the locked or unlocked condition is realized by turning the button 90° via the notch screwdriver
19
in the tip end of the shank, the rotation angle is limited to 90°. Once the shoulder portions of the upper and lower slide notches
13
′ are badly worn, the stored or non-stored condition cannot be realized securely.
The button locks shown in
FIGS. 21 and 23
must be adapted for use on the right or left side relative to the door. For this, as shown in
FIG. 24
, a right-handed operation pin
48

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