Field of the invention

The present invention finds application in the field of door and windows and particularly relates to a peephole for doors or the like.

Background art

Doors are known to be equipped with peepholes, e.g. to allow a user to check the identity of someone on the other side of a door, before opening it.

Prior art devices usually comprise a female tubular element with a compartment for containing a male tubular element, so that the tubular elements are allowed to interpenetrate and engage in a hole that extends through the thickness of the door.

Thus, the peephole defines an optical path through the thickness of the door.

Nevertheless, prior art devices suffer from a plurality of drawbacks.

Particularly, the tubular elements of prior art peepholes usually have mating threads on the facing surfaces of the tubular bodies.

Therefore, mounting of the peephole requires the tubular elements to be tightened together until the desired mutual interpenetration distance, corresponding to the door thickness, is reached.

As the tubular elements of peepholes have standard longitudinal lengths, it can be understood that considerable time losses are sometimes involved by mounting such peephole to doors of variable thicknesses, particularly in case of large interpenetration depths between the male and female elements. Disclosure of the invention

Therefore, the present invention has the object of obviating the drawbacks of prior art and particularly those mentioned above.

This object is fulfilled by a peephole as defined in claim 1 , comprising a female tubular element extending about a longitudinal axis and having a containing compartment, a male tubular element, wherein the male and female tubular elements are adapted to interpenetrate and engage in a hole extending through the thickness of a door, engagement means adapted to lock the tubular elements in a desired axial position.

According to the invention, the engagement means are of the bayonet type, to ensure quick and stable coupling of the peephole elements.

The dependent claims define preferred variant embodiments.

Brief description of the drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be more apparent upon reading of the detailed description of a preferred, non-exclusive embodiment of a peephole according to the present invention, which is described as a non-limiting example with the help of the annexed drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a perspective view with separate parts of a first possible embodiment of the peephole of the invention;

- Figures 2 and 3 are two front views of the female and male tubular elements of Figure 1 respectively;

- Figures 4 and 5 are two side views of the female and male tubular elements of Figures 2 and 3 respectively, in which the female element is shown as a partial cross section;

- Figure 5a is an enlarged view of the encircled area in Figure 5; - Figure 6 shows an embodiment of a tool that is used for mounting and removing the peephole.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

Referring now to the above drawings, numeral 1 generally designates a peephole for doors or the like.

Particularly, the peephole of the invention is a quick mount peephole.

The peephole 1 comprises a female tubular element 2, which extends around a longitudinal axis X and defines a containing compartment 3.

In other words, the tubular wall of the female element 2 delimits the containing compartment 3 which is shown herein as having a substantially cylindrical shape.

In a preferred embodiment, the female tubular element 2 has a first annular lip 10 that extends outwards from the containing compartment 3 along an axis incident with the longitudinal axis X and is joined to the tubular element 2.

Preferably, the first annular lip 10 extends substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis X.

Therefore, the first annular lip 10 extends radially outwards from the wall of the tubular element 2 thereby forming an annulus, and defining an abutment surface 13 for the door surface, when the peephole is associated therewith.

In a preferred embodiment, the second or first annular lip 10 has a mounting portion 16, designed to be associated with a mounting tool 17, for mounting the peephole 1 to the door, as described below. The peephole 1 further comprises a male tubular element 4.

Likewise, the male tubular element has a male wall 12 extending about a longitudinal axis, which coincides with the longitudinal axis X of the female tubular element 2 when these two elements are aligned for assembly or during operation of the peephole.

Furthermore, the male wall 12 defines a further compartment 18 therein, for allowing passage of light and thus defining a partial optical path through the thickness of the door.

According to an advantageous variant embodiment, the male tubular element 4 has a second annular lip 11 which extends towards the female tubular element 2 along an axis incident with the longitudinal axis X, the second lip 11 being joined to the male wall 12.

According to this variant, the second lip 11 defines a second abutment surface 14 for the door surface.

Therefore, in the embodiments in which both first 10 and second 11 lips are provided, each of the two thickness-defining surfaces of the door abuts against an abutment surface, 13 or 14, of the peephole 1.

In a preferred embodiment, the first and/or second 11 annular lips have means for fixation of an optical unit, which may be threaded 15 (as shown, for instance, in Figures 1 and 5) or of the snap-fit type.

The male 4 and female 2 tubular elements are designed to interpenetrate and engage in a hole that extends through the thickness of a door.

In other words, during mounting, the female tubular element 2 is inserted into a special hole of the door from a first surface thereof, the male tubular element 4 is inserted in the same hole of the door from a second door surface, opposite to the first surface, with the male tubular element 4 introduced in the containing compartment 3 of the female element 2.

Therefore, after mounting, the male 4 and female 2 tubular elements define an optical path through the door thickness.

Light is adapted to enter from a first opening 19 of the male element 4 communicating with the compartment 18, to pass therethrough, and come out of a second opening 20 of the male element 4, opposite to the first opening 19, to enter the containing compartment 3 of the female tubular element 2, and come out of the opening 21 of the female element, to be perceived by a user of the peephole 1.

Obviously, the path covered by the light will be opposite in case of a reversely mounted 1.

The peephole 1 also comprises engagement means, for locking the tubular elements in a desired axial position.

Therefore, the engagement means prevent the tubular elements 2, 4 from interpenetrating along the longitudinal axis X for a longer or shorter distance than desired.

The engagement means include at least one tooth 5', 5", which extends from one of the male 4 or female tubular elements towards the surface of the other female or male tubular element.

In the embodiment as shown in Figure 4, the tooth 5', 5" extends from the surface of the female element 2 that faces towards the containing compartment 3 towards the interior of the compartment 3. Preferably, the tooth 5', 5" consists of at least one thread crest.

More preferably, the female 2 or male tubular element has two diametrically opposite teeth 5', 5", each composed of a plurality of axially spaced threads.

Thus, the provision of two teeth advantageously allows homogeneous distribution of the forces generated during mounting and operation of the peephole along the circumference of the tubular elements.

Furthermore, the provision of a plurality of axially spaced threads advantageously allows homogeneous distribution of the forces generated during mounting and operation of the peephole among the multiple threads, so that the forces generally exerted on each tooth are reduced.

The other tubular element, either female 2 or male, has at least one longitudinally extending sliding channel 6', 6" in which the tooth 5', 5" can slide.

In other words, the sliding channel 6', 6" acts as a translation guide during interpenetration or separation of the tubular elements 2, 4. i.e. during mounting or removal of the peephole 1.

In the embodiment as shown in Figure 1 , the sliding channel 6', 6" is straight and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis X.

Furthermore, the tubular elements 2, 4 are adapted to be mutually rotated between a sliding state, in which the tooth 5', 5" is within the sliding channel 6', 6" and a locked state, in which the tubular elements 2, 4 are locked in the desired axial position.

In other words, the containing compartment 3 accommodates the male element 4 in such a manner as to allow its rotation about the longitudinal axis X, for the tooth 5', 5" to move between the sliding state and the locked state, in which interpenetration of the tubular elements 2, 4 is axially locked.

Preferably, when the female 2 and male 4 tubular elements are mutually rotated towards the locked state, the engagement means are adapted to cause further axial interpenetration of the female 2 and male 4 tubular elements.

Thus, the male and female tubular elements advantageously interpenetrate in the sliding state. Once the desired interpenetration depth has been reached, the rotation of the tubular elements towards the locked state causes further interpenetration of the tubular elements.

In other words, in the embodiments in which first 10 and second 11 lips are provided, as the tubular elements 2, 4 are rotated towards the locked state, the lips 10, 11 are axially moved towards each other, and the abutment surfaces 13, 14 come to tight contact with the opposite surfaces of the door.

In accordance with an advantageous embodiment, the engagement means further include threads 7', 7" on the tubular element that has the sliding channel 6', 6".

In other words, the male 3 or female 2 tubular element with the sliding channel 6', 6" further has the threads T, 7".

In the embodiment of Figure 5, the threads 7', 7", whose pitch may be selected as needed, extend circumferentially around the male wall 12.

Preferably, the threads 7', 7" are circumferentially broken by the sliding channel 6', 6".

Therefore, when the female 2 and male 4 tubular elements are mutually rotated towards the locked state, the tooth is adapted to fit into the cavities 9 defined by axially contiguous threads.

In other words, during rotation towards the locked state, the tooth 5', 5" moves from the sliding channel 6', 6" to at least one of the cavities 9 defined by continuous threads.

Even more preferably, the male 4 or female tubular element has threads 7', 7" circumferentially broken by a pair of diametrically opposite sliding channels 6', 6".

Therefore, in the same manner as described above, in the embodiments that use two teeth 5', 5", these teeth are adapted to slide along the pair of sliding channels 6', 6" and to engage the threads 7', 7", for example in diametrically opposite areas, as shown in Figure 1.

In an advantageous embodiment, the circumferential end portions 8 of the threads 7', 7" have a chamfered or rounded profile.

Preferably, the circumferential end portions 8 of axially contiguous threads converge towards the cavity 9 defined by said threads.

Therefore, the cavities 9 advantageously have a profile that flares towards the sliding channel 6', 6", which dramatically reduces the probabilities that, during rotation of the tubular elements 2, 4 the tooth 5', 5" might not find a cavity 9, but the wall of the threads 7', 7".

In other words, with the cavities 9 having an entrance larger than the rest, such entrance acts as a lead-in area for the tooth 5', 5" to be led into the cavity 9.

Preferably, the peephole is made from a polymeric material, preferably of thermosetting type, or a metal material.

The present invention further relates to a peephole assembly comprising a peephole 1 according to any one of the above embodiments and at least one optical unit associated with at least one of said female or male 4 tubular elements.

Preferably, the peephole assembly comprises a shutter device, such as a cap, associated with the peephole and movable between peephole operating and idle states, in which such device is adapted to lie over the first opening 19 of the male element 4 or the opening 21 of the female element 2.

Thus, advantageously, when the peephole assembly 1 is not in use, the shutter device at least partially closes the optical path defined by the peephole through the door.

The present invention finally relates to a peephole kit comprising a peephole 1 according to any one of the above embodiments, or a peephole assembly according to the above variants, and a mounting tool 17, for mounting or removal of the peephole 1 or the peephole assembly to or from a door.

The mounting tool 17 comprises a grip portion 22 which is designed to be held by a user, and a tool portion 23, operably connected to the grip portion 22 and adapted for association with the mounting portion 16 of the female 2 or male tubular element.

The tool portion 23 also comprises at least one peg 24 ¹ , 24", 24 ¹ ", 24 ^IV for engagement with at least one recess 25 ¹ , 25", 25 ^m , 25 ^IV defined by the mounting portion 16 of the female element 2, for rotation of the female element 2 relative to the male element 4.

In the embodiment as shown in Figure 6, the tool portion 23 has four pegs 24 ¹ , 24", 24 ¹ ", 24 ^IV equally arranged along a substantially circular circumference, to distribute the forces generated during mounting and removal on such pegs.

The four pegs are adapted to be engaged in four recesses 25 ¹ , 25", 25 ¹ ", 25 ^IV arranged on the mounting portion 16.

Preferably, the tool portion 23 has centering means 26, which are designed to place the tool 17 in the proper position for mounting.

Preferably the centering means include a centering wall 27 adapted to rotatably engage the containing compartment 3 or the compartment 18, while axially aligning the tool with the longitudinal axis X.

Once the mounting tool 17 has reached proper axial alignment with the longitudinal axis X ₁ the tool portion 23 is angularly rotated to engage the peg 24 ¹ , 24", 24'", 24 ^IV in the recess 25 ¹ , 25", 25 ¹ ", 25 ^IV

More preferably, the tool portion 23 has damping means for damping any impact between the mounting tool 17 and the peephole 1 , or the peephole assembly.

In a preferred embodiment, the damping means include a gasket (not shown), which is held in a groove 28 defined by the radially outermost surface of the centering wall 27.

Such gasket held in the groove 28 is designed to prevent any accidental damage of the inner wall of the female 2 or male 4 tubular body.

During mounting, the mounting tool 17 may slip off and damage the surfaces of the peephole or the assembly. However, the provision of damping means prevents such damages and further allows the tool 17 to remain associated with the peephole 1 or the assembly, even when it is hot held by a user.

Therefore, with such gasket, the centering wall 27 may remain firmly engaged in the containing compartment 3 or the compartment 18.

The novel feature of the peephole of the invention is that it can be quickly mounted to a door or the like, as it only requires mutual screw-tightening of the tubular elements at the end of the mounting process.

The peephole and assembly of the invention allow very easy mutual sliding of the female and male tubular elements, affording easy interpenetration thereof.

The skilled person might make changes to the above embodiments of the peephole and assembly or replace parts with other technical equivalents, for the purpose of fulfilling particular requirements.

For example, the characteristics described above with reference to the female tubular element might be used for the male tubular element and vice versa.

Such variants also fall within the scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.

Furthermore, each variant that has been described as belonging to a possible embodiment may be implemented separately from the other variants.