FIELD

[0001] The improvements generally relate to the field of locking systems of the mortise type for doors of buildings, and more particularly to locking systems featuring electronic key activation.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Electronic key activated locking systems are widely used in hotels, motels and other rental dwellings, but are also used in some other applications. Such locking systems have a controller, typically provided in the form of a relatively simple computer, which can receive input from an electronic key via a "reader" interface, perform an authentication function determining whether or not the input from the electronic key is authorized to operate the lock, and controls a lock actuator to open the lock upon authorization.

[0003] Various technologies exist for electronic keys and reader interfaces, and these technologies typically involve the encoding of identifier data within the electronic key and the reading of the identifier data by the reader interface. Some technologies use passive keys (e.g., an RFID, card with magnetic stripe, etc.) whereas others can be active (e.g., a smartphone application which emits the identifier data in the form of a wireless signal). Similarly, various technologies exist in the art to perform the computer-implemented authorization function, and in terms of actuators to perform the physical unlocking function of the lock.

[0004] All these technologies typically require some form of maintenance to be required on the locking system. For instance, locking systems can require batteries to power the controller and the door actuator, to name two examples, and it can be required to change these batteries periodically to ensure a satisfactory operability. Some other mechanical or electronic components of the locking systems can also require maintenance.

[0005] Although known locking systems were satisfactory to a certain degree, there remained room for improvement. In particular, there was a need to facilitate the maintenance operations concerning the locking systems and/or to reduce maintenance-related costs. SUMMARY

[0006] In one embodiment, the locking system has a primary pack received in a first recessed area of a mortise in the door. The primary pack has a bolt and an actuator for moving the bolt. The locking further has a secondary pack received in a second recessed area in the door. The secondary pack can house electronic components such as batteries, a controller, and a reader for instance.

[0007] In accordance with one aspect, the secondary pack has a frame which is secured to the door, and a tray slidably mounted to the frame and receiving one or more of the electronic components. The tray can be partially slid out from the recessed area in a manner to allow performing maintenance the electronic components without removing the frame from the door.

[0008] In accordance with another aspect, the door has an aperture leading into the second recessed area, and the secondary pack has a jack made integral to the frame and accessible via the aperture. A cover can be used to cover the aperture when the jack is not in use. Accordingly, maintenance personnel can remove the cover to connect a plug associated with a maintenance device into the jack, and thereby access the controller. The plug and jack can form a USB connector, or any other suitable connector, for instance.

[0009] Many further features and combinations thereof concerning the present improvements will appear to those skilled in the art following a reading of the instant disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0010] In the figures,

[0011] Figs. 1A and 1 B are views showing a door with an example locking system, from the outside and from the inside, respectively; [0012] Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the locking system; [0013] Figs. 3A and 3B are views showing, in sequence, the sliding out of a tray of a second pack of the locking system and the removal of the reader antenna cover, for maintenance access;

[0014] Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the second pack of the locking system; [0015] Fig. 5 is an oblique view showing the rail and stopper system of the second pack;

[0016] Fig. 6 is an oblique view showing locking tabs of the second pack;

[0017] Figs. 7A and 7B are views showing, in sequence, the assembly of the locking system to the door;

[0018] Fig. 8A is an exploded view of a reader antenna assembly of the locking system, with Fig. 8B being a rear view of a component thereof;

[0019] Fig. 9 is a rear view of the reader antenna assembly of the locking system, assembled;

[0020] Fig. 10 is an oblique view of the second pack, fragmented;

[0021] Fig. 11 is an oblique view showing the base rotational assembly feature of the reader antenna assembly;

[0022] Fig. 12 is an oblique view showing the cover rotational assembly feature of the reader antenna assembly;

[0023] Fig. 13 is an oblique view showing the components of Fig. 11 and 12 assembled;

[0024] Fig. 14 is an oblique view of the base snap locking feature of the reader antenna assembly;

[0025] Fig. 15 is an oblique view of the cover snap locking feature of the reader antenna assembly; and

[0026] Fig. 16 is an oblique view showing the features of Fig. 14 and 15 assembled. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Figs. 1A to 3B show an example of a locking system 10 adapted to a door 12 of a building, and more specifically to a door 12 such as a hotel room door in this case. Fig. 1A shows the external appearance of the door 12 whereas Fig. 1 B shows the internal appearance of the door 12. It can be seen that the external appearance of the locking system 10 is minimized, with essentially only a reader cover 14 showing on the outside and face plates 16, 18 appearing along the edge of the door. During an access operation by a user, the user can be provided with an electronic key which he places proximate to the reader cover 14 to trigger the unlocking of the locking system 10. The user may then activate the handle 26 and open the door 12.

[0028] Fig. 2 shows the locking system 10 and door 12 exploded. The locking system 10 can be seen to include two separate packs 22, 24 which are both housed in a mortise 27 within the door 12. More specifically, the first pack 24, which can alternately be referred to as the bolt pack 24, has a housing which receives locking elements and a lock actuator which is operable to mechanically perform the unlocking function. The inner and outer door handles 26, 28, as well as the thumbturn 30 (Fig. 1 B), are receive into the first pack 24 across corresponding apertures in the door 12. The second pack 22, which can alternately be referred to as the controller pack 22, houses electronic components. The first pack 24 is received within a first recessed area 32 in the door, whereas the second pack 22 is received within a second recessed area 34 in the door 12. In this embodiment, the recessed areas 32, 34 are separate from one another, but it will be understood that in an alternate embodiment, the recessed areas 32, 34 can be two portions of a single, larger, mortise. Accordingly, in an alternate embodiment, the first pack 24 and the second pack 22 can be embodied in the form of a single combined pack, for instance. The door 12 has an aperture 36 leading into the second recessed area 34, and across which the reader assembly 38 can be connected to the second pack 22. In this embodiment, the first pack 24 is provided with two locking elements : a sprung latch 40 at the middle, and a locking bolt 42 at the top; and further has a guard bolt 44 (auxiliary latch) at the bottom. It will be understood that various other configurations are possible in alternate embodiments. [0029] Both the first pack 24 and the second pack 22 are provided in the form of folded sheet metal housings with an aperture face adapted to be anchored to a corresponding portion of the mortise by pack mounting screws. Both the first pack 24 and the second pack 22 are further provided with threaded bores. Face plates 16, 18 can be secured to the corresponding aperture faces of the packs to close and cover them by fastening faceplate mounting screws into the threaded bores. Typically, the mortise 27 is made of a wood based material, and it can be preferred to reduce the manipulation of the pack mounting screws as much as possible, as successive manipulations can damage the wood. The metal material of the threaded bores, which receive the faceplate mounting screws, is not subject to wear as much as the wood. As will be presented in further detail below, the second pack 22 has a frame portion 46 which is secured to the door 12 with the pack mounting screws, and a tray portion 48 which is slidingly mounted to the frame portion 46.

[0030] Fig. 3A shows the removal of the faceplate 16 of the second pack 22 which frees the tray portion 48 of the second pack 22. Fig. 3B shows the tray portion 48 of the second pack 22 fully slid into an extended configuration, exposing a portion of the tray portion 48. In the extended configuration, maintenance personnel can freely change batteries 50 or otherwise perform maintenance on the locking system 10 such as by accessing electronic components.

[0031] Fig. 3B also shows the reader assembly 38 with the cover 14 removed, allowing access to a maintenance port 52, thus allowing a wired connection of a maintenance device to the controller. As shown more clearly in Fig. 4, a maintenance jack 60 accessible via port 52 is secured to the frame portion 46, whereas the electronic components which are designed for maintenance can be secured to the tray portion 48.

[0032] Fig. 4 provides further detail concerning the components of the second pack 22 in this specific example. In this example, the components of the controller are mostly incorporated to a main printed circuit board (PCB) 53 which is received on the tray for easy maintenance access. However, a separate PCB, which will be referred to herein as the reader PCB 54, has the jack 60 to receive the wired connection by a maintenance device. The main PCB 53 can be connected to the reader PCB 54 by a flexible wire, for instance, This reader PCB 54 is secured to the frame portion 46 of the second pack 22. In this embodiment, and for reasons made apparent below, this jack 60 is provided in the form of a USB programming port, and the reader PCB 54 further has a 6 pin antenna PCB connection 62. Batteries 50, as well as optional RF transceiver 56, and an optional Bluetooth™ module 58 are also mounted to the tray portion 48 for easy maintenance. It will be understood that in alternate embodiments, the controller can be embodied in various forms, and in more than one separate components which can communicate with one another in a wired or a wireless manner. One or more component of the controller can be included in the first pack 24 rather than in the second pack 22. In any event, the controller can typically act as some form of computer, for example by having some form of processor receiving the input from the reader interface 38, comparing this input to some form of credential data stored in some form of memory, and controlling the lock actuator based on the result of the comparison. Accordingly, the electronic key can be provided in any suitable form such as a card, key fob or smartphone for instance, and can communicate with the reader in any suitable contact or contactless manner such as RFID, Bluetooth™, or any other suitable technology. [0033] The main PCB 53 can be connected to the reader PCB 54 by one or more flexible wire(s) (not shown) which accommodate relative displacement between the main PCB 53 and reader PCB 54 when the tray portion 48 is slid within the frame portion 46. This flexible wire connection can be conveniently held, at one end, against the frame portion 46 near the maintenance jack 60 by two conveniently positioned tabs 99a, 99b, and at the other end, against the tray portion 48 by a conveniently positioned tab 80b. Similarly, tab 80a can be provided to guide the location of the wire 72 used to connect the main PCB 53 to the lock actuator. Additional tabs can be provided to guide the location of any other wire connecting electronic components to the main PCB, for instance. Such tabs can be particularly useful to hold wires which interconnect a component in the tray portion 48 to a fixed component. [0034] The battery 50 is held in place in the tray portion 48 by a battery holder 81. In this embodiment, the battery holder 81 is provided in the form of a spring clip formed of a band of metal having a central depression 85 and two legs having hooks 83a, 83b. The spring clip is elastically deformable/resilient. The tray portion 48 is provided with two apertures 87a, 87b which are sized to receive corresponding hooks 83a, 83b, when the legs are flexed towards one another, and the legs can then be released for the hooks to become trapped under the corresponding edge of the corresponding aperture 87a, 87b. The spring clip is designed for the central depression 85 to have a slight interference with the battery pack 50 when the battery pack 50 is held therein such as shown in Fig. 3b. In this configuration, the battery pack 50 exerts an outward force on the central depression 85, maintaining the central depression 85 in a tensed, deformed state, and the hooks 83a, 83b are also forced outwardly, against the corresponding edges of the corresponding apertures 87a, 87b. The amplitude of the force, and the amount of deformation in the central depression 85, varies as a function of the thickness of the battery pack. This arrangement allows to snugly receive battery packs of varying thickness, within a given thickness range determined by the shape/amount of curvature of the central depression 85, which can be advantageous in some embodiments. In alternate embodiments, the battery holder can rather be provided in the form of tight fit tabs designed for a specific type of battery pack, for instance.

[0035] The sliding mount between the tray and the frame portions 48, 46 includes a rail system, with elongated protrusions 64 on the upper and lower edges of the tray portion 48 being received in mating elongated slots 66 on the upper and lower edges of the frame portion 46, so as to form a snug sliding engagement. Optionally, stops can be provided in the mating edges of the frame and tray in a manner that when the tray is fully slid into the extended position, the stops will come into contact with one another and prevent extending the tray further out unless a significantly increased amount of force is exerted to overcome the bias from the stops. In the embodiment where the reader PCB 54 is connected to the main PCB 53 via a wired connection, the wired connection may need to be disconnected to allow full removal of the tray portion 48. At the internal edge relative to the direction of sliding, the tray 48 and frame 46 are provided with snugly engaging tabs 68a, 68b better shown in Fig. 6. These tabs 68a, 68b, once engaged, form a snug engagement and were found to reduce or prevent any rattling or unsuitable vibration which could otherwise occur as the door 12 is being manipulated and the tray 48 and the frame 46 portions are slightly moved relative to one another. It will also be noted that the main sheet metal components forming the tray portion 48 and the frame portion 46 are symmetrical along an axis parallel to the sliding orientation, so as to be freely usable either in a left hinged or a right hinged door, simply by changing the position of some of the electronic components. [0036] In the illustrated embodiment, the first pack 24 and the second pack 22 are to be provided as separate, independent housings ("assemblies" instead of "housings"?), and are electrically connected in a wired manner. As shown in Fig. 7A, when the mortise is machined in the wood material of the door, a channel 70 is designed to extend between the first recessed area 32 (provided here as a first pocket) and the second recessed area 34 (provided here as a second, distinct pocket). The first pack 24 and the second pack 22 can then be mounted to the corresponding areas, and a wire 72 can extend within the channel 70 to connect the main PCB 53 with the lock actuator in the first pack 24. More specifically, in this embodiment, the mortise further includes a separator 69 between the first recessed area 32 and the second recessed area 34. An outer face of the separator includes a first planar area 73, and a step 71 protruding from the first planar area 73. The channel 70 is provided between the step 71 and a first edge of the mortise, and is further delimited by the first planar area 73. The channel 70 can thus be said to be generally rectangular in cross- section. Mounting the first pack 24 includes fastening a first flange against the step 71 using a corresponding wood screw. Mounting the second pack 22 includes fastening a second flange against the first planar area 73 using a corresponding wood screw, after which the wire 72 extends between the first flange and the first planar area 73. The lock actuator in this embodiment is an electric motor, and the wire 72 can further be used to connect a privacy switch and door ajar switch both made integral to the first pack 24. In another embodiment, the first pack 24 could additionally include a mechanical key override, for instance. Fig. 8 shows the reader assembly 38 of this particular example in further detail. As shown in Fig. 8, the reader assembly has a base 74 which is adapted to be secured to the door 12 with base mounting screws. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10, the base has a male locating feature 76 and the frame has a correspondingly shaped female locating feature 78. Accordingly, the base is positioned by engaging the male locating feature 76 into the female locating feature 78 across the aperture 36 in the door 12 (Fig. 2), and the mounting screws are then used to secure the base 74 into place. An interface PCB 79 is made integral to the base, and is connected to a corresponding jack 62 in the reader PCB 54 which is secured to the frame portion 46 when the base 74 is in its secured position. More specifically, once the base 74 is secured to the door 12, the interface PCB can be inserted easily via the pins on the reader PCB 54 in the controller pack. The interface PCB 79 can have an antenna to receive the input from the electronic key, for instance, and can also have one or more indicators, such as LEDs, to provide visual or audible feedback to the user.

[0037] It will be noted that the reader PCB 54 has a maintenance jack 60, and that the base 74 of the reader assembly 38 is provided with an aperture 52 leading to the maintenance jack 60 of the PCB. Accordingly, by removing the cover 14, a maintenance technician can insert a plug into the maintenance jack 60, and gain access to the controller, for instance. This can be useful to perform a debugging operation for instance. In this embodiment, the maintenance jack is a USB jack which is used as an easily accessible programming port. [0038] As shown in Figs. 1 1 to 16, the cover and base are provided with a plurality of mating features to allow the selective engagement or disengagement of one from the other. More specifically, Fig. 11 shows a base rotational assembly feature provided in the form of a groove 84 forming a longitudinal and then circumferential path along a portion of the base 74. As shown in Fig. 12, the cover 14, on an internal side wall, is provided with a protrusion 86 which is shaped to engage the groove 84. Accordingly, when the cover 14 is correctly positioned on the base 74, the protrusion 86 engages the groove 84 and becomes trapped in the groove 84. Pushing the cover axially, and then turning the cover clockwise results in driving the protrusion 86 to the end of the groove, in the position illustrated in Fig. 13. A catch can optionally be provided at the end of the groove. [0039] Fig. 14 shows a base snap locking feature embodied as a hook 90, whereas Fig. 15 shows a cover snap locking feature embodied as a catch 92. Indeed, when the cover 14 is in position with the protrusion 86 at the end of the groove 84, the hook 90 has simultaneously tripped over the catch 92, and the hook 90 then prevents rotation of the cover 14 in the counter-clockwise orientation, preventing the removal of the cover 14 from the base 74. However, the cover 14 is provided with a small aperture 94 allowing the insertion of a small pin into contact with the hook 90, to remove the hook 90 from interference with the catch 92, and thus allow removal of the cover 14.

[0040] It will be noted that in this embodiment, the battery is held with a spring clip. The second pack can have protruding features opposed between the tray portion and the frame portion, that act as a stop to limit the extension of the tray within the frame, unless overcome using some force (e.g. when installing the tray). For instance, with reference to Fig. 4, in the embodiment, shown, dimples 95a, 95b protrude outwardly from upper and lower flanges of the tray portion 48, and dimples 97a, 97b protrude inwardly from the upper and lower flanges of the frame portion 46. When the tray portion 48 is pulled out to the design limit, the dimples 95a, 95b engage a corresponding dimple 97a, 97b to limit the sliding extent. If required, the restraining action of the dimples can be overcome by a level of force which is significantly higher than the level of force required for sliding the tray. This conveniently retains the tray 48 in the frame 46 at a distance allowing easy accessibility to the battery 50 and battery connection on the main PCB 53. The reader antenna assembly 38 houses the reader antenna PCB 79 and allows easy access to the programming port 52 for the lock. It is designed to be tamper resistant so you need a common tool such as a paper clip to remove the cover 14 from the base 78. The base 78 and cover 14 have rotational assembly features on either side that secure the cover to the base and act to maintain the orientation of the cover. The reader antenna PCB 79 contains LEDs for user feedback, an antenna coil and 6 pin header connector to connect to reader PCB 54 inside controller assembly 22. In the illustrated embodiment a ferrite backing is used to enable better performance if used on a metal clad door or with an under plate. Removal of the 2 faceplate screws allows access to the sliding maintenance tray 46. Once the screws are removed, the tray can be slid from the door to gain access to the battery 50 and battery connector while being retained in the door with the dimples on the case. To do further maintenance if a circuit board change is required, the tray 48 can be pulled past the retention dimples with more force and the circuit boards will be accessible. The reader PCB 54 that is secured to the frame 46 of the second pack 22 cannot be accessed without first removing the frame 46 from the door 12. The tray 48 can be used to facilitate operations such as changing the battery 50, performing maintenance on the main PCB 53 (e.g., replace it), replacing the optional RF board 56 or BLE board 58 should they need to be replaced, or, if the lower pack 24 ever needed to be replaced, this could require access to the main board 53 for the switch / motor connections, to name a few examples. [0041] As can be understood, the examples described above and illustrated are intended to be exemplary only. For instance, in the case of a locking system adapted for a powered door, the locking system does not need batteries nor a battery holder. The scope is indicated by the appended claims.