Electronic safety-lock

• US 5,626,039 A
• Filed: 04/09/1996
• Issued: 05/06/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Antonio Solari, Roberto Mottola
• Original Assignee: Antonio Solari, Roberto Mottola
• Inventors: Solari, Antonio, Mottola, Roberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Gall, Lloyd A.
• Application Number:
  US08/629,578
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 70/190, 70/465, 70/DIG. 49, 70/277-283, 292/142, 292/144
• US Class Current: 70/279.1
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0023 Nuts or nut-like elements moving along a driven threaded axle
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0012 with rotary electromotors actuators with rotary electromotors per se H02K7/06, H02K23/68
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1018 Gear
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1021 Motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7107 And alternately mechanically actuated by a key, dial, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7113 Projected and retracted electrically
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/713 Dogging manual operator

Abstract

Electric safety-lock consisting of a motor (3) which by means of movement reduction gears (4, 5) drives a worm screw (6) axially mounted on the driven wheel (5). A slider (8) is keyed onto the worm screw (6) on which the mobile lock studs (9) entering the holes (10) in the locking box (1) are fastened. A mobile rack (13) is mounted on the slider (8); the rack (13) may be operated in case of emergency by a gear wheel (14) meshing with a cylinder or sprocket latch (17) and functioning when using a key (15) or knob. An electric circuit provided with sensors (24, 25, 26) provides for remote control (34) of the door lock via opening (A) and closing push-buttons (C). The safety-lock may also be equipped with an alarm system.

Claims

1. Electronic safety-lock mounted in a box-shaped frame (1) secured to a mobile wing (2) of a door and provided with one or more lock studs (9) entering related borings (10) drilled in a lock plate (11) fastened onto an edge of a fixed door wing (12) or to a contour wall characterized in that it is comprised of:

a motor (3) operating on low voltage d.c. and rotating in both directions

a driving gear (4) keyed onto a motor shaft

a driven gear (5) meshing with the driving gear (4) at a speed reduction ratio;

a worm screw (6) axially mounted on the driven gear (5) and revolving with the latter;

a threaded slider (8) keyed onto the worm screw (6);

one or more closing studs (9) rigidly connected to the slider (8) and cooperating with the boring(s) (10) in the lock plate (11);

a rack (13) rigidly connected to the threaded slider (8) and provided with a lower lock hole (19);

a gear wheel (14) meshing with the above mentioned rack (13);

a cylinder or sprocket latch (17) which can be axially moved inwards against the action of a spring loaded coil, to engage the gear wheel (14) with the aid of a key (15) fitted into the cylinder from outside, a surface of the cylinder or sprocket latch (17) being cone-shaped tapered (18) so that this cylinder or sprocket latch can be hand operated in emergency cases;

a knob (16) coupled to the gear wheel (14) to open the door from inside in case of emergency, after having released the rack (13) by means of a pin tooth (36) located inside the door;

an L-shaped ratchet (21) located below the rack (13) and oscillating on a pin (22) transverse to the frame, so that a vertical flange of the ratchet (21) will touch the cone-shaped portion (18) of the cylinder (17) for emergency opening;

a blocking pin tooth (20) located on an upper face of a horizontal flange of the ratchet (21) entering the hole (19) in the rack (13) to ensure its interlock;

an electromagnet (23) activating the ratchet (21) to release the rack (13), provided with a return spring;

sensors (24, 25,

     26) to detect the release position of the ratchet (21) as well as the open and closed positions of the rack (13);

a remote control (34) with opening push-button (A) and closing push-button (C), controlling an electric operating circuit.

2. Safety-lock as described in claim 1, characterized in that it may be provided with an automatic latch (29) and push-button (32) controlled from indoors.

3. Safety-lock as described in claim 2, characterized in that the automatic latch (29) is operated by the push-button (32) to open the door or by an electromagnet (33) energized by the rack (13) at the end of its opening path.

4. Safety-lock as described in claim 2, characterized by the fact that in emergency cases, the automatic latch (29) is opened, with the aid of a lever (37) and pawl (38), by the rack (13) which is moved beyond its normal position when the lock is opened with the key (15).

5. Safety-lock as described in claim 1, characterized in that the knob (16) used to open the door from inside a room in case of emergency, may be replaced by a key (15) operated sprocket latch (17) similar to the outside sprocket latch.

6. Safety-lock as described in claim 1, characterized by the fact that the electric circuit also includes:

a low voltage d.c. power supply unit (35) with buffer battery;

an opening control (CA) actuated by the remote control (34) by means of a receiver (RCA);

a closing control (CC) actuated by the remote control (34) by means of a receiver (RCC);

an opening timer (TA)

a closing timer (TC)

and an alarm system may be installed provided with a power switch to be activated when the safety-lock is closed.

7. Safety-lock as described in claim 1, characterized in that a sensor (27) may be placed between the fixed and mobile door-wings to trigger an alarm when the safety-lock is tampered with.

8. Safety-lock as described in claim 1, characterized by the fact that when pressing the opening push-button (A) of the remote control (34) from inside and outside the door, the rack (13) is released by the electromagnet (23) controlling the ratchet (21) thus starting the motor (3) which will draw in the stud(s).

9. Safety-lock as described in claim 1, characterized by the fact that when pressing the closing push-button (C) of the remote control (34) from inside and outside the door, the motor (3) is reversed so that the stud(s) (9) are drawn out causing the rack (13) to be blocked by the pin tooth (20) of the ratchet (21).

10. Safety-lock as described in claim 1, characterized in that disconnection of an alarm system, will enable to open or close the door with the key (15) and its cylinder (17) or to open and close the door from inside a room by means of the knob (16).