Locks – Special application – For control and machine elements
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-05
2002-01-29
Camby, Richard M. (Department: 3661)
Locks
Special application
For control and machine elements
C070S207000, C292S336300, C292SDIG003
Reexamination Certificate
active
06341512
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a closing device for doors of housings or cabinets, preferably made from thin wall material such as sheet steel, especially for the actuation of locking systems, such as locking bars, which can be introduced in the canted or fold space in sheet-metal cabinet doors, this closing device comprising a door plate with two door plate regions, wherein a first, elongated door plate region has a handle, such as a swivel lever, and supports a spindle pinion so as to be rotatable, and wherein the second door plate region supports a push plate so as to be displaceable, which push plate is in an operative connection with the spindle pinion and which is, in turn, in an operative connection with the locking system via a shoulder which extends through a slot in the door that is concealed by the second door plate region.
2. Description of the Related Art
A swivel lever closing device of this type is already known from WO 94/15049 which is based, in turn, on EP 0 261 266 B1.
The closing device is provided especially for switch cabinets, but also for cabinets or housings which are used in work places for electronics and other technical fields to house electronic devices or components.
Cabinets or housings of the type mentioned above usually have construction dimensions of 19 inches, but can also be manufactured in metric sizes. The use of especially narrow counter-stops has proven advisable in order to provide a usable interior space which is as large as possible and easily accessible. For example, a narrow hollow section serves as a mounting frame to which side walls or back walls and doors are attached. Alternatively, switch cabinets formed from bent sheet metal can also be provided, these switch cabinets having a canted or folded region in which locking devices, e.g., bar locks such as those known from the above-mentioned European patent are advisably accommodated. In this swivel lever closing device known from EP 0 261 266 B1, a base plate comprising the door plate is arranged with one protuberance in a first rectangular opening in the door leaf provided in the region of the swivel lever articulation, while a second protuberance is provided for receiving a cylinder lock supported in the free end of the swivel lever. The two openings are arranged so as to be axially symmetric with respect to the longitudinal axis and it is therefore possible to mount the closure in these two rectangular openings of identical dimensions in such a way as to enable conversion from right to left. The swivel lever closing device according to this European patent can be used in a particularly advantageous manner with flat bar locks, which also enables accommodation in narrow profile spaces such as in the canted space in sheet-metal cabinet doors, for example. The door plate is fastened by means of projections on the base plate of the door plate which can be inserted into the rectangular openings of the door leaf or which engage behind the openings or by means of a cap part or retaining part which is screwed on from the inside of the door. The swivel lever closing device according to the above-cited reference requires little space and is suitable for doors fastened on the left-hand side as well as for doors fastened on the right-hand side.
However, the closing device known from this reference also has disadvantages. The lock itself is arranged eccentrically, which is disadvantageous. That is, a subsequent change of the fastening or door folding entails removal of the locking bar, of which there is at least one, or disassembly of the lock. Moreover, the locking bar which is guided in the region of the base plate can negatively affect the construction design of the closing device, especially in the region of the cylinder lock. Further, when rows of cabinets are used, the door plate can undesirably limit the opening angle of the door of an adjacent cabinet.
According to WO 94/15049, the second protuberance is not arranged in the region of the swiveling axis of the swivel lever, but rather is arranged so as to be offset by 180° relative to the actuating axis of the swivel lever. This makes it possible to swivel the swivel lever optionally into one of two positions in the base plate which are offset by 180° with respect to rotation and to secure it in the desired position by means of the cylinder lock accommodated in the swivel lever. Certain advantages are achieved by means of this design and are described in WO 94/15049 on pages 3 and 4. In other respects, however, the disadvantages mentioned above also apply in this case.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the primary object of the present invention to further develop the swivel lever closure known from WO 94/15049, namely, in such a way that it is constructed not only in a simpler and more compact manner and can therefore be manufactured more inexpensively while retaining the advantages of the known closing device, but also enables a larger opening angle for the door of an adjacent cabinet when used in a cabinet row arrangement.
This object is met in that the second door plate region is likewise elongated and is shaped and connected in one piece with the first elongated door plate region in such a way that the axis of extension of the second elongated door plate region extends at right angles to the axis of extension of the first elongated door plate region. This step results not only in a symmetry with respect to the center of the door leaf and, accordingly, in simplified construction and mounting, but also offers the possibility, in particular, of reducing the constructional height in the neighborhood of the edge of the door, which leads to larger door opening angles for the adjacent cabinet when used in a row of cabinets.
The closing device according to the invention can be actuated by means of a socket wrench or can have a swivel lever, in particular a swivel lever which can lock in a recess formed by the door plate.
It is particularly advantageous when the push plate which can be actuated, e.g., via the swivel lever and the spindle pinion is in an operative connection with a locking bar (arranged parallel to the longitudinal extension of the push plate) and a driver or protuberance connected with the locking bar is provided in the area of the door plate.
It is advantageous when the spindle pinion is connected with the push plate via meshing teeth of the latter and this push plate is connected with the locking bar via the driver or protuberance and when the spindle pinion and the push plate are received by the door plate virtually in a positive engagement.
According to a further development, the driver is adjustable at the inner side of the door and in the area of the shoulder plate and is connected with the locking bar via connection areas, wherein the driver is guided by a protuberance in a recess of the push plate which extends at right angles to the driver plane.
On one or both sides of the locking bar, rollers or projections forming locks with the locking bar can be provided in the area of receptacles on the cabinet side, wherein receptacles which are constructed in a complementary manner and have vertical stop faces and in which the rollers or projections engage may be provided. In a construction of this kind, it is advantageous when the receptacles which are preferably fastened in the fold area of a cabinet frame or housing frame are constructed as hooks or double-hooks with an opening for the locking bar, which opening is directed toward the door.
The push plate can have a first opening oriented to its center axis for receiving the protuberance and two additional recesses at a distance X along the longitudinal axis relative to this recess, wherein the distance X is that distance traveled by the push plate when the swivel lever is rotated by 90°.
In the same way, the protuberance can be formed by a molded piece which is formed from a protuberance area and a driver area, wherein the protuberance area is arranged at one end of the driver area and the driver area has a
Camby Richard M.
Reed Smith LLP
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