ASSEMBLY

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a lock or latch body and a lock or latch assembly.

The invention has been developed primarily for use in exterior and interior residential doors and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, the invention is not limited to this particular application is also suitable for use in any latch or lock mounted within the interior of a door.

Background of the Invention

Locks and latches are known in which the lock and latch body is mounted within a cavity in the interior of a door. Such known lock bodies usually have input shafts . extending from either side in directions normal to the planes of the door front and rear faces. The input shafts are each connected to a handle (e.g. a lever or a knob) on either face of the door which allows torque to be transmitted from each of the handles to the lock body to retract a lock bolt. Similarly, such known latches usually have an input recess on either side, facing in directions normal to the planes of the door front and rear faces. The input recesses are each connected to a handle on either face of the door which allows torque to be transmitted from each of the handles to the latch body to retract a latch bolt.

As the input shafts/recesses are on the sides of the lock/latch body the handles must be positioned outwardly therefrom, which adds to the overall width. As a result, the handles can not be mounted flush with the faces of the door unless the door is more than about 40mm thick. Alternatively, known lock/latch bodies can be fitted to thinner doors using a 'thick' escutcheons, having a prominent edge, to space the handles outwardly and accommodate the overall width. However, such thick escutcheons can often be perceived by purchasers as old fashioned or out of date.

Another known approach to fitting locks or latches to doors thinner than 40mm involves not using a respective spring for biasing each handle to a return position and instead using an extra strong or double spring within the lock or latch body. The extra strong or double spring is used to both bias the lock or latch bolt and also the handles. A disadvantage of this approach is the larger size of the extra strong or double spring is difficult to accommodate within a lock/latch mechanism of acceptable overall size. In addition, different spring rates are needed in order to effectively return levers of different weights and requires different lock/latch bodies to suit different levers. It is an object of the present invention to provide a lock or latch body which can operate in thinner doors with individual handle springs and without requiring thick escutcheons.

Summary of the Invention

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a lock or latch body including:

a housing;

a bolt adapted for movement towards and away from the housing; and a bolt retractor adapted for moving the bolt towards the housing, the bolt retractor being pivotable about a bolt retractor axis and including an eccentric force receiving part.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a lock or latch assembly including: a lock or latch body housing;

a bolt adapted for movement towards and away from the housing;

a bolt retractor adapted for moving the bolt towards the housing, the bolt retractor being pivotable about a bolt retractor axis and including an eccentric force receiving part;

a handle movable about a handle axis; and

an eccentric force providing part being movable about the handle axis in response to movement of the handle;

wherein the force receiving part and the force providing part engage at a position other than the bolt retractor axis and the handle axis.

The force receiving part and the force providing part preferably engage at a position between the bolt retractor axis and the handle axis.

The lock body housing has a pair of sides and the force receiving part is positioned, in an axial direction, within the lock body housing sides. In one form, the force receiving part is preferably narrower, in an axial direction, than the distance between the lock body housing sides. The force receiving part is preferably, in an axial direction, positioned substantially centrally relative to the lock body housing sides.

The lock body housing preferably has at least one sidewall between the lock body housing sides and the force receiving part is preferably external, in a radial direction, to the at least one housing wall.

The force receiving external part preferably includes gear teeth. The force receiving part is preferably an integrally formed part of the bolt retractor.

In another form, the force receiving part is preferably slightly wider, in an axial direction, than the distance between the latch body sides. The force receiving part preferably includes a pair of radially extending parts, each adjacent either side of the latch body. The radially extending parts are preferably connectable to, or form part of, the bolt retractor for movement therewith. The force receiving part preferably includes gear teeth.

The force receiving part is preferably adapted for driving engagement with a force providing part, the force providing part being movable in response to movement of a handle associated with a lock assembly

Brief Description of the Drawings

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a right perspective view of an embodiment of a lock body;

Fig. 2 is a right side view of the lock body shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a left perspective view of the lock body shown in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional side view of the lock body shown in Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional side view of the lock body shown in Fig. 1 , after bolt retraction;

Fig. 6 is a front view of the lock body shown in Fig. 1 ; Fig. 7 is a right perspective view of the lock body shown in Fig. 1 installed adjacent an escutcheon;

Fig. 8 is a left perspective view of the lock body and escutcheon shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a rear view of the lock body and escutcheon shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is an right side view of the lock body and escutcheon shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 1 1 is a front view of the lock body and escutcheon shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 12 is a left perspective view of an embodiment of a latch body installed adjacent an escutcheon;

Fig. 13 is a right perspective view of a latch body and escutcheon shown in Fig. 12; Fig. 14 is a rear view of a lock body an escutcheon shown in Fig. 12;

Fig. 15 is right side view of a lock body and escutcheon shown in Fig. 12;

Fig. 16 is a front view of a lock body and escutcheon shown in Fig. 12;

Fig. 17 is left hand perspective view of an embodiment of a lock body in an alternative installation with an escutcheon;

Fig. 18 is a right hand perspective view of the latch body and escutcheon shown in Fig. 17;

Fig. 19 is a front view of the latch body and escutcheon shown in Fig. 17;

Fig. 20 is right side view of the latch body and escutcheons shown in Fig. 17; and

Fig. 21 is a rear view of a latch body and escutcheon shown in Fig. 17.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Figs 1 to 6 show an embodiment of a lock body 30. The lock body 30 includes a housing 32 having sides 32a and 32b with a wall 32c therebetween. The lock body 30 also includes a lock bolt 34 and a double sided key cylinder 36. The operation of the lock bolt 34 and the key cylinder 36 in moving the lock bolt 34 towards the housing 32 for door opening and moving the bolt 34 away from the housing 32 for door locking, in response to key rotation, is well understood by persons skilled in the art.

The lock body 30 also includes a bolt retractor 38 which is mounted in the housing 32 for pivotal movement about a bolt retractor axis x-x. More particularly, the bolt retractor 38 has shafts 40a and 40b extending from each side respectively, which locate within complementary openings 42a and 42b respectively provided in the sides 32a and 32b of the housing 32. The bolt retractor 38 includes an eccentric force receiving part, in the form of gear teeth 44, which pivot about the axis x-x. The bolt retractor 38 also includes a bolt withdrawing part 46 within the housing 32. The movement of the bolt 34 towards the housing 32 (i.e; bolt retraction), as indicated by arrow 48a, by the bolt retracting part 46 in response to the pivotal movement of the bolt retractor 38, as indicated by arrow 48b, is best shown in Fig. 5.

In the preferred embodiment shown, the gears 38 are positioned, in the direction of axis x-x, within the lock body housing sides 32a and 32b and are narrower in that axial direction than the width of the lock body 32 between the sides 32a and 32b. The gears 38 are also axially positioned substantially centrally relative to the sides 32a and 32b of the lock body housing 32. The wall 32c between the sides 32a and 32b of the lock body housing 32 includes an opening 32d through which the gears 38 radially extend.

Figs. 7 to 1 1 show the lock body 30 installed adjacent an escutcheon 50 with a handle 52 and a locking knob 53. The handle 52 is pivotable about axis y-y. The handle 52 is connected to a hub 54 and pivotal movement of the handle 52 causes corresponding pivotal movement in the hub 52. The hub 54 has a force providing part, in the form of gear teeth 56, which pivot about the axis y-y. The gear teeth 56 meshingly engage with the gear teeth 44 of the lock body 30 in a position other than the bolt retractor axis x-x and the handle axis y-y. More particularly, the gear teeth 56 meshingly engage with the gear teeth 44 of the lock body 30 in a position between those axes.

Engaging the force providing part (the gear teeth 56) associated with the handle 52 and the force receiving part (the gear teeth 44) associated with the lock body 32 in the position shown avoids the use of any mechanisms adjacent the sides 32a and 32b of the lock body 32 and reduces its overall width. This provides numerous advantages. Firstly, the lock body 32 can be fitted in thinner doors including doors down to about 32 mm thick. Secondly, the lock body 30 can be installed in such relatively thin doors without the requiring the use of relatively thick escutcheons or escutcheons having a prominent edge. More particularly, relatively thin or 'flat' escutcheons can be used with the lock body 30, which provides a neater and more modern appearance that is attractive to potential purchasers. Further, the lock body 30 does not require an additional slave gear to be mounted between the lock body 30 and the handle 52 which advantageously reduces components, simplifies production/assembly and provides a more robust lock mechanism overall. In addition, the force receiving part/gear teeth 38 are also able to be driven by the force providing part/gear teeth of a second handle associated with a second escutcheon on the other side of the door.

The lock body 30 can also advantageously be used in either left handed or right handed doors without requiring any additional componentry.

The lock body 30 also advantageously avoids using an extra strong or double spring and retains an acceptably compact overall size.

Figs 12 to 16 show an embodiment of a latch body 60 installed adjacent an escutcheon 62. The escutcheon 62 is similar to the escutcheon 50 previously described and like features have been indicated with like reference numerals. The installation shown in Figs 12 to 16 positions the handle 52 above the locking knob 53.

The latch body 60 includes a housing 64 having sides 64a and 64b. The latch body 60 also includes a latch bolt 66. The latch body 60 is internally similar to existing latch bodies and includes a shaft (not shown) with a square cross section opening. Pivotal movement of the shaft moves the bolt 66 towards the housing 64 for door opening, as is well understood by persons skilled in the art.

The latch body 60 includes an eccentric force receiving part, in the form of gear teeth 68, and radially extending parts 70a and 70b either side of the gear teeth 68. The radially extending parts 70a and 70b are connectable to the shaft via screws 72a and 72b. The gear teeth 68 pivot about bolt retractor axis z-z to retract or extend the latch bolt. Similar to the lock body 30 previously described, the force providing part (the gear teeth 56) associated with the handle 52 engages the force receiving part (the gear teeth 68) associated with the latch body 60 in a position other than the bolt retractor axis z-z and the handle axis y-y. More particularly, the gear teeth 56 meshingly engaged with the gear teeth 68 of the latch body 60 in a position between those axes.

Similar to the lock body 30, engaging the force providing part (the gear teeth 56) and the force receiving part (the gear teeth 68) in the position shown reduces the use of mechanisms or components adjacent the sides 64a and 64b of the latch body 60 and reduces its overall width. This results in similar advantages to those previuosly described in relation to the lock body 30.

Figs 17 to 21 show the latch body in an alternative installation relative to the escutcheon 62. More particularly, the installation shown in Figs 17 to 21 positions the handle 52 below the locking knob 53. This can be to suit an end user preference, or to match other door hardware in the installation. To achieve this, the latch body 60 is relatively inverted and the force receiving part (gear teeth 68 and parts 70a and 70b) is inverted relative to the housing 64 of the latch body 60 and repositioned from a position requiring pivotal movement towards the door handle 52 for latch bolt retraction to a position requiring pivotal movement away from the door handle for latch bolt retraction.

The latch body 60 can also advantageously be used in either left handed or right handed doors without requiring any additional componentry.

Although the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the invention can be embodied in many other forms.