Lockset with motorized system for locking and unlocking

• US 6,038,896 A
• Filed: 01/11/1999
• Issued: 03/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schlage Lock Company LLC (Allegion PLC)
• Original Assignee: Schlage Lock Company (Allegion PLC)
• Inventors: Chamberlain, L. C. Derek, Hensley, Frederick M.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARRETT, SUZANNE LALE DINO
• Application Number:
  US09/214,727
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 70/277-279.1, 70/283, 70/107, 70/221-224, 70/218, 70/467-472, 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 2047/0024 Cams
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0012 with rotary electromotors actuators with rotary electromotors per se H02K7/06, H02K23/68
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0661 axially, i.e. with an axially engaging blocking element
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0673 with a rectilinearly moveable blocking element
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 55/005 Cylindrical or tubular locks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7062 Electrical type [e.g., solenoid]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7079 Key rotated [e.g., Eurocylinder]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7107 And alternately mechanically actuated by a key, dial, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/713 Dogging manual operator

Abstract

A door lock (1), preferably operable both by a mechanical key (C) with a key cylinder (60) and by an electronic signal and having inside and outside handles (A, B) mounted on inside and outside hollow spindles (10, 50), for mounting on a door having an inside face and an outside face, has a cylindrical lock chassis (80) with a provision for retracting a latch bolt (4) in response to rotation of either of the hollow spindles (10, 50); a member (40) for selectively locking the outside spindle (50) against rotation; a reversible electric motor (20) mounted coaxially within the inside spindle (10), the motor being secured against rotation but free to slide axially against resistance provided by a biasing member (21), and having a motor shaft (31) extending through the cylindrical lock chassis (80) to operably engage the member (40) for locking the outside spindle (50); a power supply (101) for the motor (20); and a mechanism (42, 45, 61) for selectively moving the member (40) between locked and unlocked positions.

Claims

1. A door lock, operable by an electronic signal and having inside and outside handles (A, B) mounted on inside and outside operators respectively and having a locking means for moving a latch bolt (4) from an extended position to a retracted position, the locking means being engaged with the operators, the inside and outside operators being rotatable from a first position wherein the latch bolt (4) is in an extended position to a second position wherein the latch bolt (4) is in a retracted position, the door lock comprising:

a housing (80);

means for preventing rotation of the outside operator; and

a reversible electric motor (20,

     102) mounted within the housing (80), the motor (20,

     102) being secured against rotation but free to slide axially against resistance provided by a biasing means (21,

     109) and having a motor shaft (31,

     106) extending therefrom to operably engage the means for preventing rotation, the motor (20,

     102) moving the means for preventing rotation between an unlocked position wherein the outside operator is free to rotate and a locked position wherein the outside operator is locked against rotation.

2. The door lock according to claim 1, wherein the operators are hollow spindles (10, 50).

3. The door lock according to claim 2, wherein the motor (20) is mounted co-axially within the inside operator.

4. The door lock according to claim 1, wherein the operators are retractor hubs (24).

5. The door lock according to claim 4, wherein the motor (102) is mounted such that a longitudinally extending axis of the motor is transverse to the axis of the operators.

6. The door lock according to claim 2, wherein the means for preventing rotation of the outside operator comprises a locking lug (41) which protrudes outwardly through an axial slot (51) in the outer spindle (50) and which is axially movable into engagement with an axial slot (56) in a fixed lock-mounting hub (55).

7. The door lock according to claim 6, further comprising:

a cam plug (40) having the locking lug (41) projecting radially outwardly from a peripheral surface thereof, the cam plug (40) having means for being moved axially by the electric motor (20) when the motor (20) is actuated.

8. The door lock according to claim 7, wherein the means for being moved axially by the electric motor (20) comprises a threaded hole (31'"'"') in the cam plug (40) for engaging threads on the motor shaft (31) and for thereby moving axially in response to rotation of the motor shaft (31).

9. The door lock according to claim 7, wherein the means for being moved axially comprises a spiral cam (45) operable by a tailpiece driver (61) on a key cylinder (60), the spiral cam (45) causing the cam plug (40) to move axially in response to rotary movement of the spiral cam (45).

10. The door lock according to claim 2, further comprising:

means for preventing disengagement of the means for locking the outside spindle (50,

     150) against rotation by axial impacts to the outside spindle (50,

     150).

11. The door lock according to claim 10, wherein the means for preventing disengagement of the means for locking the outside spindle (50, 150) against rotation by axial impacts to the outside spindle (50, 150) comprises:

an axial slot (156) in a mounting hub (155) fixed to the housing (80); and

a circumferential slot (157) intersecting the axial slot (156) in the mounting hub (155) at an outboard end of the axial slot (156), the circumferential slot (157) extending substantially half-way around a circumference of the hub (155) such that, when located in the circumferential slot (157), the locking lug (41) is free to rotate with the spindle (150) to open the door lock, and, when located in the axial slot (156) inboard of the circumferential slot (157), the locking lug (41) and spindle (50,

     150) are locked against rotation;

the locking lug (41) being axially held in place by the biasing means (21).

12. The door lock according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for adjusting and presetting the biasing means (21,

     109) against the resistance provided by which the motor (20,

     102) is free to slide during operation.

13. The door lock according to claim 12, wherein the means for adjusting and presetting the biasing means (21) against which the motor (20) is free to slide during operation comprises:

an anchor member (120) fixed near an outboard end of the inside operator; and

a threaded stud (100);

the biasing means (21) being attached at its inboard end to the motor (20), and the threaded stud (100) being rotatably connected between an outboard end of the biasing means (21) and the anchor member (120);

the stud (100) being threadably engaged with one of the biasing means (21) and the anchor (120) and axially fixedly engaged with the other for adjusting the position of the motor (20) by the biasing means (21).

14. The door lock according to claim 1, further comprising:

a mechanical key cylinder (60) for operating the door lock.

15. The door lock according to claim 14, further comprising:

means for permitting locking and unlocking by the mechanical key cylinder (60) and the electric motor (20).

16. The door lock according to claim 2, wherein the housing (80) is a cylindrical lock chassis having inside and outside chassis walls upon which are mounted inside and outside hollow stationary hubs (15, 55) and through which project the inside and outside hollow spindles (10, 50), respectively, the spindles (10, 50) having latch rollback cams (12) at inner ends thereof, the means for preventing rotation of the outside operator includes a locking lug (41) and a hub locking slot (56, 156) in the outside hub (55, 155), the reversible electric motor (20) being disposed within the inside spindle (10) and coaxial therewith and the motor shaft (31) extending into the cylindrical lock chassis;

and further comprising;

means for causing engagement and disengagement of the locking lug (41) with the hub locking slot (56,

     156) and for thereby locking and unlocking the outside spindle (50) by using a mechanical key (C) in a key cylinder (60);

screw means connected directly to the motor shaft (31) for driving the locking lug (41) along the axis of the outside spindle (50) and for thereby causing engagement and disengagement of the locking lug (41) with the hub locking slot (56,

     156); and

means for transmitting signals to operate the motor (20) and to lock and unlock the outside spindle (50).

17. The door lock according to claim 4, wherein the means for preventing rotation comprises a stop works catch (7) slidably mounted in the case for movement in and out of engagement with a retractor hub (24).

18. The door lock according to claim 4, further comprising an adjustment means for adjustably connecting the motor (102) to the housing, the adjustment means permitting adjustment of the biasing means (109).

19. A linear actuator in a lock chassis for causing engagement and disengagement of a locking mechanism with a latch operating device, comprising:

a reversible electric motor (20,

     102) having a longitudinal axis, disposed within the chassis and having a motor shaft (31,

     106) operably engaged with the locking mechanism;

means for mounting the motor (20,

     102) to the lock chassis in a rotationally rigid arrangement while providing linear freedom along the longitudinal axis of the motor;

screw means connected to the motor shaft (31,

     106) for causing linear motion of the locking mechanism in response to rotary motion of the motor shaft (31,

     106); and

means for, during a hang-up condition of the locking mechanism, for storing rotary work of the motor (20,

     102) as spring energy.

20. The linear actuator according to claim 19, further comprising:

a biasing means (21,

     109) for linearly biasing the motor (20,

     102).