DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a lock for door, particularly for lockers.

A mechanical lock for locker door is commercially known comprising a frame to which a handle supporting a cylinder is connected in an articulated manner.

At the articulation area to the frame, the handle also supports various closing means, typically a bolt and/or closing rods.

The handle is operable from a position returned to a frame seat in which the cylinder is arranged through a through opening of the frame and the closing means is in a closed position of the door, a position raised to and aligned on the frame seat, wherein the cylinder is extracted from the through opening of the frame and the closing means is still in a closed position of the door, and a position raised and rotated from the frame seat wherein the cylinder is extracted from the through opening of the frame and the closing means is in an open position of the door.

In the position returned to the frame seat, the handle is locked due to interference from the cylinder cam with a fixed wall.

To unlock the handle it is necessary to insert the key into the slit of the rotor body of the cylinder to rotate the cam in the disengagement position from the fixed wall. The technical task proposed in the present invention is to provide a lock for door with the same type of control handle described above but integrated with additional features which can eventually be implemented, also in retrofitting, on locks already installed.

The technical task, as well as this and other objects, according to the present invention are obtained by providing a lock for door comprising a frame that is fixable to the outer wall of the door and having a seat and an opening passing through said seat, a handle, a cylinder supported by the handle and having a stator body and a rotor body provided with a slit for inserting a key, a cam supported by the rotor body, closing means for closing the door connected to said handle, said handle being supported by said frame in an articulated manner between a position returned to said seat, in which said cylinder is arranged through said through opening and said closing means is in a closed position, a position raised to and aligned on said seat, in which said cylinder is extracted from said through opening and said closing means is in a closed position, and a position raised and rotated from said seat, in which said cylinder is extracted from said through opening and said closing means is in an open position, characterized in that it comprises an electromechanical device comprising a locking element for locking the handle, which is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position of the handle, and an electromechanical actuator for driving said locking element, said locking element in said locked position being engaged in a seat of the stator body where said cam is housed and being configured and arranged for interfering with the rotary movement of said cam for the mechanical restoration of the unlocked position.

In one embodiment of the invention, said locking element is slidable in contrast to and through the action of an elastic element automatically restoring the locked position.

In one embodiment of the invention, said locking element has a tilted wall configured and arranged for interfering with the movement of the cylinder during movement of the handle from said raised and aligned position to said returned position for automatic restoration of the locked position.

In an embodiment of the invention, said electromechanical actuator comprises an electric motor, a dragging slide for dragging the locking element connected to said locking element by said elastic element, and transforming means for transforming a rotation of the motor in a translation of the slide.

In one embodiment of the invention, said elastic element acts as an accumulator of elastic potential energy in the event of retention of the locking element in relation to a rotation of the electric motor.

In one embodiment of the invention, said electric motor is programmed to perform an outward rotation and a return rotation to the initial position after a preset time.

In one embodiment of the invention, said elastic element comprises a helical spring oriented with an axis in the sliding direction of the locking element and engaged in adjacent windows of said locking element and said slide.

In one embodiment of the invention, said transforming means comprises a rotating eccentric supported by the electric motor and engaged in a slot of said slide.

In one embodiment of the invention, with the key extracted, said cam is in a position that does not interfere with the movement of said handle from said returned position to said raised and aligned position.

In one embodiment of the invention, a limit stop is provided for stopping said cam in a position that does not interfere with the movement of said handle from said returned position to said raised and aligned position when said key is inserted into said slit and rotated to position said locking element in said unlocked position.

In one embodiment of the invention, said electromechanical actuator is battery- driven. In one embodiment of the invention, an automatic extractor is provided which is adapted to move said handle automatically from said returned position to said raised and aligned position when said locking element reaches said unlocked position.

In one embodiment of the invention, said extractor comprises an extracting spring interacting with said cylinder.

In one embodiment of the invention, a box-like support is provided for housing said electromechanical device, having fixing holes with screws for installing, also through retrofitting, to the inner wall of said door.

Advantageously, the upgrade of a lock already installed can be carried out by mounting on the inner wall of the door the box-like support housing the electromechanical device and simply resetting the position of the cylinder cam which, as mentioned, with the key removed must not interfere with the movement of the handle from the returned position to the raised and aligned position.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the lock for door, according to the invention, and which is illustrated by way of approximate and thus non-limiting example in the attached drawings, in which: figure 1 shows a front view of the lock from the front side of the door with the handle in the returned position; figure 2 shows a perspective view of the lock from the front side of the door with the handle in the returned position; figure 3 shows a perspective view of the lock from the front side of the door with the handle in the position raised to and aligned on the seat; figure 4 shows a perspective view of the lock from the front side of the door with the handle in the raised and rotated position; figure 5 shows a perspective view of the lock from the rear side of the door and an enlarged detail thereof, for ease of view without the box-like support, in the configuration in which the locking element engages the seat of the stator body where the cylinder cam is housed; figure 6 shows a front view of the lock from the rear side of the door and an enlarged detail thereof, for ease of view without the box-like support, in the configuration in which the locking element engages the seat of the stator body where the cylinder cam is housed; figure 7 shows a front view of an enlarged detail of the lock from the rear side of the door in the configuration in which the dragging slide driven by the electromechanical actuator drags the locking element into the unlocked position of the handle; figure 8 shows a perspective view of an enlarged detail of the lock from the rear side of the door in the automatic locked configuration of the handle; figure 9 shows a front view of the lock from the rear side of the door in the emergency unlocked configuration of the handle with the key, and an enlarged detail thereof; figure 10 shows a front view of an enlarged detail of the lock from the rear side of the door, sectioned parallel to the door, in an abnormal operating step in which the spring is preloaded as the motor moves the slide towards the cylinder but the locking element does not find the insertion seat in the stator body; figure 11 shows a raised side view of an enlarged detail of the lock from the rear side of the door in the configuration of figure 10, sectioned orthogonally to the door; figure 12 shows a front view of an enlarged detail of the lock from the rear side of the door, sectioned parallel to the door, in an abnormal operating step in which the spring is preloaded as the motor moves the slide away from the cylinder but the locking element is jammed; figures 13 and 14 show a section of the lock according to a vertical plane orthogonal to the door in the returned, raised and aligned position of the handle, with the extractor highlighted; figure 15 shows an exploded perspective view highlighting the installation and/or retrofitting sequence on the door.

With reference to the cited figures, a lock 1 for a door 2 is shown, in particular a door of a locker.

The lock 1 comprises a handle 6 supporting a cylinder 7 having a stator body 8 and a rotor body 9 equipped with a slit 10 for inserting a key 11 and a cam 12.

The lock 1 further comprises a frame 3 fixed to the outer wall of the door 2 and having a seat 4 for the handle 6 and an opening 5 passing through the seat 4.

The opening 5 extends through a rear protrusion 34 of the frame 3 in turn arranged through a through opening 28 of the door 2.

The frame 3 is more precisely fixed to the outer wall of the door 2 by means of tightening screws 30 coming from the inner wall of the door 2.

The screws 30 pass through a flange 29 forming part of a housing support 16 of the electromechanical device.

The rear protrusion 34 of the frame 3 has two blind holes 31 such as to house and tighten the screws 30. An opening 38 of the flange 29 of the support 16 matches the protrusion 34 of the frame 3, circumscribing thereto.

To the handle 6, which is positioned on the front side of the door 2, suitable closing means for closing the door 2 is connected through a further through opening of the door 2, said closing means being positioned on the rear side of the door 2 and comprising for example a closing bolt 13 and/or closing rods 14.

The closing means can engage in particular with the frame 15 of the locker which delimits the door 2.

The handle 6 is supported by the frame 3 in an articulated manner between a position returned to the seat 4, in which the cylinder 7 is arranged through a through opening 5 of the seat 4 of the frame 3 and the through opening 28 of the door 2 and the closing means is in the closed position, a position raised to and aligned on the seat 4 of the frame 3, in which the cylinder 7 is extracted from the through opening 5 and the closing means is in the closed position, and a position raised and rotated from the seat 4 of the frame 3, in which the cylinder 7 is extracted from the through opening 5 and the closing means is in the open position. In particular, the handle 6 has a first axis of rotation parallel to the door 2 for moving from the position returned to the seat 4 to the position raised to and aligned on the seat 4, and a second axis of rotation transverse to the first axis of rotation for moving from the position raised to and aligned on the seat 4 to the position raised and rotated from the seat 4.

Advantageously, the lock 1 comprises an electromechanical device applied to the inner wall of the door 2 and comprising a locking element 17 of the handle 6 and an electromechanical actuator for driving the locking element 17. The locking element 17 is slidable between a locked position and an unlocked position of the handle 6.

The electromechanical actuator provides an electronic controller for receiving a remote control with wireless communication.

The locking element 17 is configured and arranged to interfere with the rotary movement of the cam 12 for the mechanical restoration of the unlocked position in the event of, for example, failure of the electromechanical actuator.

In the locked position of the lock, the locking element 17 engages in a seat 18 of the stator body 8 where the cam 12 is housed.

More precisely, the stator body 8 of the cylinder 7 has a split which accommodates the cam 12 and allows the rotary movement thereof performed integrally with the rotor body 9.

The locking element 17 is slidable in contrast to and through the action of an elastic element 20 automatically restoring the locked position of the handle 6. Furthermore, the locking element 17 has a tilted wall 19a configured and arranged for interfering with the movement of the cylinder 7 during the movement of the handle 6 from the position raised to and aligned on the seat 4 to the returned position for automatic restoration of the locked position of the handle 6.

The electromechanical actuator housed in the support 16 comprises an electric motor 21, a dragging slide 22 for dragging the locking element 17 connected to the locking element 17 by the elastic element 20, and transforming means for transforming a rotation of the electric motor 21 in a translation of the dragging slide 22.

The electromechanical actuator is in the battery-driven illustrated solution. The electric motor 21 is programmed to perform an outward rotation and a return rotation to the initial position after a preset time.

The elastic element 20, as will be seen in the following, acts as an accumulator of elastic potential energy in the event of retention of the locking element 17 in relation to a rotation of the electric motor.

The dragging slide 22 is movable horizontally in a direction parallel to the door 2 and has a linear guide 23 which supports the sliding of the locking element 17 in the same direction.

The guide 23 is formed by an axial cavity of the dragging slide 22 having an open end facing the cylinder 7 from which the locking element 17 exits.

The elastic element 20 comprises a helical spring oriented with an axis in the sliding direction of the locking element 17 and engaged in adjacent windows 24 and 25 of the locking element 17 and respectively of the dragging slide 22.

The window 24 has a support base 24a for the helical spring proximal to the cylinder 7 and a support base 24b for the helical spring distal from the cylinder 7. Similarly, the window 25 has a support base 25a for the helical spring proximal to the cylinder 7 and a support base 24b for the helical spring distal from the cylinder 7.

In practice, when the dragging slide 22 translates in the direction approaching the cylinder 7, the distal base 25b of the window 25 of the dragging slide 22 presses the helical spring against the proximal base 24a of the window 24 of the locking element 17, exerting thereon a thrust force in the direction approaching the cylinder 7, while when the dragging slide 22 translates in the direction away from the cylinder 7, the proximal base 25a of the window 25 of the dragging slide 22 presses the helical spring against the distal base 24b of the window 24 of the locking element 17, exerting thereon a thrust force in the direction away from the cylinder 7.

The means for transforming the rotation of the electric motor 21 into a translation of the dragging slide 22 comprises a rotating eccentric 26 supported by the electric motor 21 and engaged in a slot 27 of the dragging slide 22.

The wall of the support 16 provides a limit stop 33 for stopping the cam 12 of the rotor 9 in a position which does not interfere with the movement of the handle 6 from the returned position to the raised and aligned position when the key 11 is inserted into the slit 10 and rotated to position the locking element 17 in the unlocked position.

The cylinder 7 is a standard cylinder simply reprogrammed in such a way that, with the key 11 extracted, the cam 12 of the rotor 9 is in a non-interfering position with the movement of the handle 6 from the returned position to the raised and aligned position.

Thanks to this and the fact that the box-like support 16 has fixing holes for fixing to the frame 3 by means of screws 30, an installation, also in retrofitting, can also be envisaged as an upgrade of a pre-existing lock already mounted on the door 2. Advantageously, the lock finally comprises an automatic extractor 32 adapted to automatically move the handle 6 from the returned position to the raised and aligned position when the locking element 17 reaches the unlocked position.

In the case shown, the extractor 32 interacts with the cylinder 7.

More precisely, the extractor 32 comprises a helical spring housed inside the compartment 38 of the support 16, and held in a compressed configuration by the cylinder 7 when the handle 6 is in the returned position.

The operation of the lock is as follows.

Initially, the door 2 is closed and the handle 6 is locked in returned position in the seat 4 thereof.

In the locked position the locking element 17 is inserted into the relative seat 18 of the stator body 8 and the spring of the extractor 32 is compressively loaded, being crushed by the base of the stator body 8.

A mere traction on the handle 6 does not allow the unlocking thereof due to the interference of the locking element 17 with the wall of the seat 18 of the stator body 8.

The user, with a remote control, for example through a smartphone capable of dialoguing with the electronic controller of the electromechanical actuator, requests the unlocking of the handle 6.

At this point the motor 21 performs a rotation with which the eccentric 26 moves the slide 22 away from the cylinder 7, the slide 22 in turn pushes the spring 20 against the locking element 17 which is then dragged in the same direction as the slide 22 until it is released from the seat 18 of the stator body 8.

As soon as the locking element 17 is released from the seat 18 of the stator body 8 of the cylinder 7, the extractor spring 32 releases the accumulated potential energy and expands by pushing against the base of the stator body 8 of the cylinder 7 and thereby raising the handle 6 enough to give the user a perceptible visual indication of the unlocking.

The user first completes the lifting of the handle 7 until the cylinder 7 is completely extracted from the through opening 5 of the frame 3, then rotates the handle 6 to open the bolt 13 and/or the doors 14.

After a preset time, the electronic controller forces a return rotation upon the electric motor 21 which automatically returns the locking element 17 to the locked position.

After closing the door 2, the user aligns the handle 6 to the seat 4 and rotates it towards the returned position.

During this rotational movement of the handle 6, the base of the stator body 8 of the cylinder 7 interferes with the tilted wall 19a of the locking element 17, making it retract in contrast to the action of the spring 20 which accumulates energy by compressing until the locking element 17, bypassing the base of the stator body 8 of the cylinder 7, aligns and engages in the seat 18 due to the strain of the spring 20 which releases the previously accumulated energy.

In the absence of power supply, the handle 6 can be unlocked by the user with the key 11, the rotation of which causes the interference of the cam 12 with the edge 19b of the locking element 17 which is pushed out of the seat 18 thereof.

Some abnormal operating situations may occur where the lock is capable of controlling thanks to the provision of the spring 20.

In one case, due to an obstacle which opposes the unlocking movement of the locking element 17, the unlocking of the handle 6 may not occur since the locking element 17 remains stationary despite the movement of the slide 22 driven by the motor 21.

However, the differential movement between the slide 22 and the locking element 17 compressively charges the spring 20 which can release the accumulated energy to complete the unlocking once the obstacle has been removed. In another case, due to an obstacle which opposes the locking movement of the locking element 17, the locking of the handle 6 may not occur since the locking element 17 remains stationary despite the movement of the slide 22 driven by the motor 21. The typical situation is represented by an incorrect closed positioning of the door 2 by the user, which does not allow the alignment between the locking element 17 and the seat 18 thereof.

However, also in this case the differential movement between the slide 22 and the locking element 17 compressively charges the spring 20 which can release the accumulated energy to complete the unlocking once the obstacle has been removed, for example when the user correctly repositions the door 2 in closing.

The lock for door as conceived herein is susceptible to many modifications and variations, all falling within the scope of the invented concept; furthermore, all the details are replaceable by technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the dimensions, can be any according to the needs and the state of the art.