Locks – Special application – For control and machine elements
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-24
2001-02-06
Barrett, Suzanne Dino (Department: 3627)
Locks
Special application
For control and machine elements
C070S215000, C292S336300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182483
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE DESCRIPTION
The invention relates to a retractable lock for doors, in particular of thin-walled switching cabinets, with a frame mountable on the front side of the door panel and designed for receiving the retractable lever grip, wherein the lever grip in the folded position inside the frame can be secured by a locking device and can be folded along a release path from the retracted position into an actuating position outside of the frame. The further rotation of the lever grip along an actuating path is transmitted into the rotational movement of a pinion which drives a locking rod, which is longitudinally slidably guided at the inner side of the door panel, by engagement of the outer toothing of the pinion at cutouts of the rod.
A pivot lever lock with the aforementioned features is disclosed in European Patent Document 0 261 266. In such locking devices coupled to at least one locking rod, a lock box with a pinion arranged in a plane parallel to the door blade is provided for driving the locking rod at the inner side of the door. The locking rod extends through the lock box so that the engagement of the pinion with outer toothing in the cutouts of the rod takes place in the lock box. The pivot lever which can be retracted into the frame engages with its actuating shaft at the inner side of the door blade the bearing bore of the pinion in the lock box, for driving the pinion, is thus pivotable along its actuating path also in a plane parallel to the door panel. For this purpose, the pivot lever can be folded from its retracted position inside the frame along the release path out of the frame into its actuating position.
The known configuration of such a retractable lock has the disadvantage that the required lock box for embodying the rod drive requires an additional manufacturing and mounting expenditure. The position of the lock box and of the pinion arranged therein requires the pivoting of the pivot lever along an actuating path in a plane which is parallel to the door panel. Since at the same time the pivot lever must be moveable along a release path between the retracted position in the frame and the actuating position in which it is folded out of the frame, different support actions of the pivot lever are required which can be realized only with complex means.
It is therefore an object of the invention to simplify a retractable lock of the aforementioned kind with respect to manufacture and assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The solution to this object, including advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention results, from the contents of the claims which follow this description.
The principle idea of the invention suggests that the actuating path of the lever grip is positioned in a plane perpendicular to the door panel and that the pinion engaging the cutouts of the locking rod is supported on the bearing axle of the lever grip and is directly coupled under formation of a free-wheeling travel bridging the release path of the lever grip to the rotational movement of the lever grip. The invention has the advantage that the pinion which extends perpendicularly to the plane of the door panel engages directly the rod cutouts so that a separate lock box can be completely eliminated. Since the lever grip can be rotated only in one direction along the sequentially arranged release path and the actuating path, the support of the lever grip in the frame is simplified. Only one single bearing axle is provided which supports or connects the frame, the rotary grip, and the pinion. Due to the constant engagement of the pinion in the rod cutouts and because of the free-wheeling travel between the pinion and the lever grip, the free-wheeling travel does not cause any loss with respect to the actuating path for the rod drive and thus only serves to embody the release path for the lever grip between its retracted and unfolded positions.
According to one embodiment of the invention, it is suggested that for designing the free-wheeling travel of the pinion a slotted hole is provided and that the lever grip comprises a pin engaging the slotted hole of the pinion and moveable within the slotted hole. As an alternative, the free-wheeling travel between the lever grip and the pinion can also be designed in the area of the common bearing axle. On contacting rotary surfaces of lever grip and pinion corresponding rotary stops are provided which affect the follower action subsequent to the release position of the lever grip.
In order to facilitate the unfolding of the lever grip from its retracted position into the position in which it is folded out for actuation, it may be provided that the lever grip is supported relative to the pinion by a spring that pretensions the lever grip into the release position in which it is folded out of the frame. According to one embodiment of the invention, a side of the pinion facing away from the door panel can have a flattened portion against which the pressure spring positioned in a blind bore of the lever grip can rest. In the retracted position of the lever grip, this spring pretension at the same time provides a loading of the pinion into the locking position of the locking rod so that the locking rod is accordingly secured.
In order to ensure a safe engagement between the pinion and the locking rod, according to one embodiment a rod guide is arranged directly adjacent to the pinion wherein expediently the rod guide is arranged substantially centrally to the longitudinal extension of the lever grip in its retracted position. This rod guide can be screwed onto the frame by penetrating the door panel. The rod guide can also be a unitary part of the frame.
Finally, according to one embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that for covering the locking device arranged in the frame a sliding cover is provided in the form of a U-shaped hollow body which is securely and slidably mounted to the frame and which for releasing the locking device can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the frame in a direction away from the lever grip while being supported on the door panel.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4231597 (1980-11-01), Pelcin
patent: 4554807 (1985-11-01), Dolejs
patent: 4631937 (1986-12-01), Debus et al.
patent: 4650230 (1987-03-01), Takasaki
patent: 5347834 (1994-09-01), Ramsauer
patent: 5685181 (1997-11-01), Ramsauer
patent: 5722269 (1998-03-01), Simon et al.
patent: 5873274 (1999-02-01), Sauerland
patent: 5970757 (1999-10-01), Ramsauer
patent: 2 417 403 (1994-11-01), None
patent: 297 05 508 U (1997-06-01), None
patent: 0 261 266 (1988-03-01), None
patent: 2 271 606 (1994-04-01), None
Sawatzki Gerd
von Kathen Achim
Barrett Suzanne Dino
EMKA Beschlagteile GmbH & Co. KG
Robert W. Becker & Associates
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