NZ518074A - Drive transmission for a locking arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a drive transmission for a locking arrangement including an arm mounted to pivot about a first pivot, a second pivot offset from the first pivot and to which a drive bar of a locking arrangement is connectable and a third pivot spaced from the first pivot a distance greater than the amount of offset of the second pivot, the third pivot being connectable to a lock bar of a locking arrangement. Also disclosed is a lock drive mechanism including an actuator element, lock drive and a drive coupling which couples the actuator element to the lock drive, the drive coupling arranged to transfer movement of the actuator element to the lock drive whereby the degree of movement of the lock drive is greater than the degree of movement of the actuator element.

Description

T> 40 45 No: Date: 518074 28 March 2002 NEW ZEALAND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z Patents Act 1953 2 7 MAR 2003 RECEIVED COMPLETE SPECIFICATION DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR A LOCKING ARRANGEMENT WE, INTERLOCK GROUP LIMITED a New Zealand company of 6 Portsmouth Road, Miramar, Wellington, New Zealand do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- 2 TITLE OF THE INVENTION DRIVE TRANSMISSION FOR A LOCKING ARRANGEMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a drive transmission for a locking arrangement. More particularly the invention resides in a 10 drive transmission for a multipoint locking arrangement.

It is known to provide a multipoint locking arrangement whereby a drive bar is moveable by a handle or some other form of actuating mechanism. The drive bar transmits its movement 15 to a lock bar via a transmission means which usually effectively changes the direction of movement of the drive bar into the direction that lock bar needs to travel in order to effect its locking and unlocking functions. Such transmission means is often referred to a corner drive because typically 20 the multi-point drive bar will move in a direction which is at right angles to the direction of movement of the lock bar.

SPEC416 MARCH 2002 3 With such an arrangement there is a direct drive between the drive bar and the lock bar. Therefore, for each unit of movement of the drive bar the lock bar effectively moves by the same amount.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a drive transmission for a locking arrangement, which magnifies 10 movement from a drive or actuator member to the lock drive or lock member.

Broadly in one aspect of the invention there is provided a drive transmission for a locking arrangement the drive 15 transmission including an arm mounted to pivot about a first pivot, a second pivot offset from the first pivot and to which a drive bar of a locking arrangement is connectable and a third pivot spaced from the first pivot a distance greater than the amount of offset of the second pivot, said third 20 pivot being connectable to a lock bar of a locking arrangement.

SPEC416 MARCH 2002 4 Preferably the arm has a cranked end and the third pivot is located with the cranked end.

According to a second broad aspect there is provided a 5 multipoint locking arrangement including a lock bar, a drive bar and the drive mechanism of the first broad aspect the lock bar being connected to the third pivot and the drive bar connected to the second pivot.

In a third broad aspect of the invention there is provided a lock drive transmission including an actuator element, a lock drive and a drive coupling, which couples the actuator element to the lock drive said drive coupling arranged to transfer movement of the actuator element to the lock drive whereby the degree of movement of the lock drive is greater than the degree of movement of the actuator element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following more detailed description of the invention reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which SPEC416 MARCH 2002 Figure 1 is a perspective view of the drive transmission when forming part of a multipoint locking arrangement mounted with a sash of a window, the arrangement being shown in the non-locking position, Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with the arrangement in a locking configuration, Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the arrangement as 10 shown in Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a side elevation view of the arrangement as shown in Figure 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Referring to Figure 1 there is shown part of a window sash S formed by sash sections Sa and Sb, which are located at right 20 angles to one another. A multipoint locking arrangement 10 incorporating the drive transmission of the present invention is mounted with the edge of the sash S.

SPEC416 MARCH 2002 6 The locking arrangement 10 includes a drive bar 11, which is retained for sliding movement on sash section Sa by a drive bar guide 12. The drive bar guide 12 is mounted in position by fasteners (not shown) which, extend through openings 13 and 5 into sash section Sa. To provide clearance for the fasteners and to enable sliding movement of the drive bar 11 to occur elongate slots 14 are formed in the drive bar 11.

At one end of the drive bar 11 there is formed a pick-up 15.

This will be configured in a manner suitable for an actuator mechanism, which will operate the drive bar e.g. a handle mechanism (not shown). The pick-up 15 engages with the actuator mechanism so that operation of the actuator mechanism results in a rectilinear movement of the drive bar 11. The actuator mechanism can be of a known form, which includes a handle. It can also be a window operator such as, for example, the operator of New Zealand patent specification 336579 or 515949.

In a similar fashion a lock bar 16 is slidingly mounted by a lock bar guide 17 to the edge of sash section Sb. As can be seen in Figure 1 the lock bar guide 17 is once again mounted by fasteners (not shown), which extend through openings 18 SPEC416 MARCH 2002 7 with elongate openings 19 in the lock bar 16 being provided to form a clearance for the mechanical fasteners. As is also evident in Figure 1 a locking pin 21 is fixed to the lock bar 16 and is slidingly moveable within an elongate slot 20 in the lock bar guide 17.

As can be seen from Figure 1 a similar elongate slot 22 is formed in the drive bar guide 12. Thus the guides 12 and 17 can be identical which assists in manufacture and stock 10 keeping. However, it also enables a locking pin to be mounted to the drive bar 11 if it is desired to multipoint lock the sash section Sa.

The drive transmission 25 includes an arm 26, which is 15 pivotally mounted by pivot 27 to a pivot block or mounting 28. This pivot block 28 is fixedly mounted with the edge of sash section Sa.

The arm drive 26 is cranked in its length so that a section 29 20 extends about the edge of the sash S where the sash sections Sa and Sb join and when the multipoint locking arrangement is in the unlocked position i.e. as shown in Fig. 1.

SPEC416 MARCH 2002 8 A connector piece 30 extends from the lock bar 16 to a pivot pin 31 at the distal end of the cranked portion 29. Similarly a connector piece 32 extends from drive bar 11 to a pivot 33 mounted with the arm 2 6. Pivot 33 is spaced from pivot 27 as 5 can be seen in Figure 2.

The connector pieces 30 and 32 can be separate elements suitably joined to the lock bar 16 and drive bar 11 respectively. However, the connector piece can be integral 10 with the lock bar/drive bar. For example, the bar end can be suitably bent and/or folded into the form shown in the drawings.

Accordingly as drive bar 11 is moved to the right (in the 15 orientation of Figures 1 and 3) this movement is transmitted via the connector 32 to the arm 26 causing the arm 2 6 to pivot about pivot 27. This pivotal movement results in movement of the lock bar 16 until such time as the arm 26 reaches the position shown in Figures 2 and 4.

The geometry of the connection between the drive bar 11 and lock bar 16 achieved by the drive mechanism 25 results in a magnification of the movement of the lock bar 16 relative to SPEC416 MARCH 2002 the drive bar 11. For example an arrangement as shown in the drawings can provide a drive ratio of approximately 4:1. Thus, the drive bar can move 6.35mm, which results in movement of the lock bar in the order of 25mm. This amplification of movement takes place through a 90° angle.

In a typical arrangement the sash section Sa will be horizontally disposed. Thus when the sash is moved to a closed position the multipoint drive bar 11 can be actuated horizontally which via the drive transmission mechanism 25 results in a vertical movement downwardly of the lock bar 16. The lock pin 21 (or pins) of the lock bar 16 then engage with conventional locking pin receivers (not shown) mounted with the window frame to lock the sash S in the closed position.

To unlock and allow the sash S to open the drive bar 11 is driven in the opposite direction. This causes the lock bar 16 to move vertically and unlock the sash.

In a preferred arrangement an operator for moving the sash between and open closed positions will at the final closing engage with the pick up 15 and thus actuate the drive bar 11 at the final closing of the sash so as to lock the sash in the SPEC416 MARCH 2002 closed position. The operator can be of the type disclosed in New Zealand patent specification 336579 or 515949. Equally initial operation of the operator when the sash is to be opened will drive the drive bar 11 such that lock bar 16 moves to the unlocking position whereupon continued movement of the operator will separate the pick-up 15 from the operator and allow the sash S to move under the action of the operator to an open position.

When the window is in an open position the arm 26 is concealed against the sash S. When the window is locked the arm 26 utilises the hidden cavity space between sash and window frame to actuate.

The present invention thus provides a drive transmission which can be used in place of a conventional corner drive in a multipoint locking arrangement. The drive transmission provides a magnified movement of the lock bar relative to the movement of the drive bar.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is open to modification within the scope of the invention. For example, the drive transmission can transmit SPEC416 MARCH 2002 11 the drive linearly rather than at 90° as is the form shown and described herein. Also the particular form of drive coupling can differ from the pivoted arm shown and described yet still achieve the magnified movement of the lock drive/lock member relative to the drive bar/actuator member.

SPEC416 MARCH 2002 12

Claims (5)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A drive transmission for a locking arrangement the drive transmission including an arm mounted to pivot about a 5 first pivot, a second pivot offset from the first pivot and to which a drive bar of a locking arrangement is connectable and a third pivot spaced from the first pivot a distance greater than the amount of offset of the second pivot, said third pivot being connectable to a lock bar of 10 a locking arrangement.

2. The drive transmission as claimed in claim 1 wherein the arm has a cranked end and the third pivot is located with the cranked end. 15

3. A multipoint locking arrangement including a lock bar, a drive bar and the drive mechanism as claimed in claim 1 or 2, the lock bar being connected to the third pivot and the drive bar connected to the second pivot. 20

4. A lock drive mechanism including an actuator element, lock drive and a drive coupling which couples the actuator element to the lock drive, said drive coupling arranged to SPEC416 20 MARCH 2002 13 transfer movement of the actuator element to the lock drive whereby the degree of movement of the lock drive is greater than the degree of movement of the actuator element. 5

5. A drive transmission for a locking arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. INTERLOCK GROUP LIMITED By its Attorney DON HOPKINS & ASSOCIATES INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z 2 7 MAR 2303 RECEIVED SPEC416 20 MARCH 2002