GB2440743A

GB2440743A - Lock with spacing member located between closure and either flange or securing device of lock

Info

Publication number: GB2440743A
Application number: GB0615792A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel Shenton
Original assignee: Window Fabrication and Fixing Supplies Ltd
Current assignee: Window Fabrication and Fixing Supplies Ltd
Priority date: 2006-08-09
Filing date: 2006-08-09
Publication date: 2008-02-13
Anticipated expiration: 2026-08-09
Also published as: GB2440743B; GB0615792D0

Abstract

A lock comprising a body portion having first and second ends 18, 20 and a flange (figure 1, 30) extending outwardly of the body portion in the vicinity of the first end 18. A securing device (figure 2) is arranged to be located and fastened to the body portion in the vicinity of the second end 20. The lock is provided with a spacing member 50, which is arranged to be disposed around the body portion and in abutment with the flange or securing means, such that, in use, when the cylinder lock is located in a closure 58, the spacing member is interposed between the lock and the closure. The lock may be a double profile cylinder lock. The spacing device may be planar and may comprise an aperture 52 corresponding to the profile of the body portion. The spacing means provides additional security whilst allowing for manufacturing tolerances in closure widths.

Description

Cylinder Lock This invention relates to a cylinder lock and, more

specifically, to a cylinder lock which is arranged to be accessible through the surface of a member, in which the cylinder lock is mounted during use.

The invention is particularly suited for use with a lock having an elongate barrel of substantially uniform cross-section and which is suitable for fitting in a door or other closure, and which has a centrally located cam means operated by movement of a key in the lock between open and locked positions. A conventional lock of this type has a cross-sectional profile, which is shaped to closely match the shape of an opening within a door. When fitted within a door in this manner at least one end of the lock cylinder is accessible from a side of the door.

In the case of a conventional double cylinder lock, the lock extends through the entire thickness of the door such that it is accessible from either side of the door.

It is known that such conventional locks have a fixing hole part way along the * length of the lock to enable fixation of the lock to an internal cavity within a door or other closure by way of a bolt or screw. Whilst such a fixing point is advantageously difficult to access once the lock is installed, the fixing hole creates an internal section of reduced strength. It has been found that the application of a moment of sufficient magnitude to the protruding end of the lock will cause a reliable shear of the lock at the fixing hole. * * *

*. * 25 Published patent application WO 2004/070142 discloses a lock which is intended to solve this probJem by providing a fixing arrangement on the secure side, rather than in the middle, of the door. With such an arrangement, it is necessary to provide a flange around the protruding portion of the lock on the exposed side of the door in order to correctly locate the lock in the door opening.

The flange portion therefore provides an additional exposed portion, to which a force can potentially be applied to shear the lock. More specifically, if access can be gained to the rear of the flange, a force can be applied to lever the flange away from the door. This problem is heightened in that the opening in a door to receive the lock will have some tolerance in its fithng in order to ensure that the lock can be correctly inserted and fitted.

In addition there will be engineering tolerance aspects in the manufacture of the door, which mean the thickness of the door can vary and this will also have a bearing on the fitting of the lock in the door. Such tolerances are particularly notable in wooden doors and can ultimately lead to issues with the security of the fitting of the lock in the door. Therefore by resolving one potential security risk, another risk has been introduced.

Further, the tolerances can also cause problems with the fitting and operation of the lock, specifically the location of the cam means relative to other locking elements. The central fixing hole of the prior art is located in the vicinity of the cam means and therefore ensures that the cam is correctly aligned for use. If the cam means is not correctly aligned to the other locking elements this will almost certainly lead to malfunction of the lock. In certain types of locking arrangement, movement in the lock is used to engage other elements, such as the lock box or gear box and if the cam means is not aligned correctly it will not engage and activate the other locking elements. This can lead to significant problems. S..

It is an object of this invention to provide a cylinder lock which is less susceptible * a.: to attack and malfunction.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a cylinder lock comprising a body portion having first and second ends, a flange extending outwardly of the body portion in the vicinity of the first end, and securing means arranged to be located and fastened to the body portion in the vicinity of the second end, wherein the cylinder lock is provided with spacing means, the spacing means arranged to be disposed around the body portion and in abutment with the flange or securing means, such that, in use, when the cylinder lock is located in a closure, the spacing means is interposed between the lock and the closure.

The present invention is particularly advantageous since the spacing means provides the additional depth required to ensure a flush fit is achieved between the lock body and the closure, in which the lock is mounted. This flush fit is beneficially achieved using securing means located at an end, rather than in a middle section of the lock body, and thus avoids the security problems associated with a conventional fixing hole.

Furthermore the provision of a spacing means according to the present invention allows the position of the lock to be adjusted slightly relative to the closure, thus taking account for engineering tolerances in the closure and the lock. The spacing means therefore serves to improve both the security as well as the operational alignment of the lock.

According to one embodiment, the spacing means has an aperture therethrough, the aperture being shaped to correspond to the profile of the body member. *...

Preferably the spacing means takes the form of a planar member and, in one embodiment, the spacing means is a backing plate or shim. The spacing means may be substantially flat or else curved in profile. In the case of a curved spacing means, the spacing means provides a resilience similar to that of a leaf spring : 25 such that a biasing force is provided against the flange so as to ensure there is no gap between the spacing means and the door surface.

Typically the cylinder lock takes the form of a double cylinder lock. However it will be appreciated that the present invention is applicable to any cylinder lock which protrudes from a closure at one end and which is secured at an opposing end. The closure is typically a door.

Preferably, when in use, the body portion is located within a correspondingly shaped aperture in the closure such that the body portion extends therethrough, Typically the flange is adjacent a first side of the closure and the securing means is provided at a second side of the closure. The securing means may abut the second side of the closure so as to secure the cylinder lock body in the aperture.

Preferably the first side, on which the flange is disposed, is the exposed side of the closure, which is intended to prevent unauthorised access to the second side, on which the securing means is provided, and which is the secure side of the door.

In such an arrangement, an impact on the flange will cause a moment about the opposing end of the lock rather than about a mid point of the lock body. Thus the lock is less susceptible to breaking upon application of a force in this manner.

According to a preferred embodiment, the securing means comprises a securing member having engagement means for attaching the securing member to the lock body. Preferably the securing member has an aperture therein, the aperture corresponding to the profile of the lock body.

Thus the securing member can be slid onto the second end of the lock body and moved into the required position, which is typically a short distance from the second end wherein the securing member abuts the surface of the closure.

In one embodiment the securing member has one or more bores therein and typically the bores extend between a side of the securing member and the aperture. Preferably the bores are threaded such that a correspondingly threaded engagement means can be inserted and tightened into engagement with the lock body. According to a preferred embodiment, two or more bores are provided. Typically at least one bore extends to an opposing edge of the securing member from at least one other bore.

In this manner the fixing plate can simply be attached to the lock body without the requirement for special tools. The use of two or more screws provides multiple points of contact between the lock body and the securing member such that a secure fit is achieved. The opposing directions of the screws advantageously allows a securing force to be applied from different sides of the lock body in order to ensure the securing member is correctly aligned and tightly fastened.

Preferably the lock body includes an elongate groove in the vicinity of the second end. The groove may be located such that it is adjacent the opening of one or more bores in the securing member, such that the engagement means extending therethrough comes into contact with the groove. Typically the groove extends part way along the length of the body and may be substantially parallel with the cylinder axis.

The lock body is advantageously range-taking since the securing member can be fixed at any point along the length of the groove. Thus the security of the lock is not subject to engineering tolerances and gaps between the flange and closure can be avoided.

: .. 20 Preferably the flange has a first face which extends substantially perpendicularly S...

from the body surface. This face typically provides an abutment surface for the S...

* spacing means in use. Preferably, the flange has a second face which extends obliquely from the body surface. The oblique surface causes the flange to be of varying thickness. Thus the flange is advantageously ramped in profile in order :; 25 to provide resistance to a force applied to the first face.

According to a preferred embodiment the first flange face does not extend substantially beyond the periphery of the oblique face. This substantially improves the structural rigidity of the flange. One or more edges of the first face are typically parallel with or else, in part, common with one or more edges of the oblique face. In a preferred embodiment, the first end of the body has a first end face which is substantially parallel with the first flange face and the oblique face extends therebetween. Typically the oblique face extends around part, but not all of the first end face of the body.

The body portion and flange may be integrally formed of metal, for example by way of casting.

Accord ing to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a closure having a lock disposed therein, the closure having a first and a second side, wherein the lock has a lock body located within the closure such that at a first end of the lock body protrudes from the first side of the closure and a second end of the lock body protrudes from the second side of the closure, the first end of the lock body having a flange and the second end of the lock body having securing means fastened thereto, wherein spacing means are disposed around the body portion and in abutment with the flange or securing means and the closure.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figures Ia and 1 b show respective perspective and side views of a lock body for : .. 20 use in accordance with the present invention; **** * * **** * Figure 2 shows a perspective view of fixing means according to the present * ** invention;

U U..

: * 25 Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a planar member in accordance with the present invention; and, Figures 4a and 4b show respective side and perspective views of a cylinder lock according to the present invention when installed in a closure for use.

Turning firstly to Figure 1, there is shown the body portion a double cylinder lock 10, commonly referred to as an "Euro cylinder lock" or else a "Euro" lock. The lock body 10 comprises two lock cylinders 12 and 14 arranged coaxially. A spine portion 16 connects the lock cylinders 12 and 14 and is integrally formed therewith such that the spine 16 and cylinders 12 and 14 form a single member.

A locking mechanism (not shown) is housed within each of cylinders 12 and 14.

The respective end faces 18 and 20 of the cylinders 12 and 14 face in opposing directions and are provided with an opening 22 as can be seen in figure la in order to allow insertion of a key. In the central region of the lock body 10, cam means is interposed between the cylinders 12 an 14. The cam means has a central drum 24, which is mounted coaxially with the cylinders, and a locking arm 26 extending radially thereform. The spine 16 has a notch or recess 28, within which the arm 26 sits when in an inoperative, unlocked, condition. Upon operation of the lock the locking arm 26 rotates to actuate an aligned element within a lock box (not shown).

A flange 30 is integrally formed with cylinder 12, towards the end face 18 thereof.

The flange 30 has a substantially flat rear face plate 32 which extends in a plane substantially perpendicular to the cylinder axis. The opposing face 34 of the flange 30 is obliquely oriented and is tapered towards the cylinder surface such : *** 20 that an incline is formed leading up to a discontinuity or step formed by the face S...

of the rear face plate 32. The rear face 32 of the flange is parallel with the end S...

face 18 of the cylinder 12, but facing in an opposing direction.

In the embodiment shown, a portion of the tapered face 34 is generally frusto-conical in shape such that the tapered face terminates in a circular footprint ::: where it meets the rear face plate 32. The rear face plate is generally rectangular with bevelled edges and has dimensions such that the edges of the rear face plate are tangential to the perimeter of the tapered face 34. The edge of the tapered face touches the edge of the rear face 32 at different locations around the perimeter. The tapered face also has a linear portion which extends in a parallel direction to the edge of rear face 32.

Thus the rear face plate 32 extends a minimal distance around the tapered face 34 of the flange. A closely fitted rear face plate of this type advantageously avoids the larger flanges of the prior art which are more susceptible to the possibility of inserting a lever behind the flange to prise the lock away from its mounting.

Towards the end face 20, an elongate groove or indentation 36 is provided in the spine 16. The groove 36 is elongate in shape, extending in a direction parallel with the cylinder axis. More specifically the groove 36 has parallel side walls and curved edges, forming an oval indentation within the side of the spine 16.

The spine 16 is also provided with a bevelled lowermost edge 38 which extends the length of the body 10. A series of formations 40, are visible in the lower edge 38 and serve to provide plugs for locking pins within the cylinder lock as would be understood by a person skilled in the art.

Turning now to Figure 2, there is shown securing means in the form of securing plate 42. The securing plate 42 is formed of a rectangular block having a substantialty flat rear face. The opposing face is separated from the rear face by : .. 20 a peripheral face 42 which is provided with bevelled edges. The plate 42 has a *1s, central aperture 44 extending therethrough. The shape of the aperture 44 a...

corresponds to the sectional profile of the body portion 10.

In addition, the securing plate is provided with internal bores 46 and 48 which : 25 extend through the fixing plate between the peripheral face and the walls of the central aperture 44. The bores 46 and 48 extend from opposing sides of the plate towards the aperture 44 and are provided at offset heights. The positioning of bore 46 is arranged to correspond to the position of the groove 36 within the spine 16.

Figure 3 shows a planar member in the form of a backing plate or shim 50 having two opposing and substantially parallel faces and a peripheral edge extending therebetween. The depth of the shim 50 is substantially smaller than the width or height of the shim. Similar to the fixing plate 42, the shim is provided with an aperture 52, the shape of which corresponds to the profile of the lock body 10. In this instance, the resulting shape of the aperture is substantially keyhole shaped.

Whist the corners 54 of the shim 50 are rounded, the peripheral edge 56 is substantially right angled.

Turning now to Figure 4, the lock 10 is shown mounted within a door 58 ready for use. The door 58 has a through hole (not shown), through which the end face 20 of the lock body 10 is inserted. In the embodiment shown, the through hole is generally keyhole shaped in profile but it will be understood that the profile will take any shape suitable to correspond to the profile of the lock body.

Prior to insertion into the door, the body 10 is inserted through the aperture 52 in the shim 50. The shim is slid along the body to a position in which the shim abuts against the rear face 32 of the flange 30. The lock body 10 is then inserted into the corresponding shaped hole in the door into a position in which the shim 50 abuts against the door surface 60 as can be seen in Figure 4a. Thus the shim 50 is sandwiched securely between the flange 30 and the door surface 60. * 2 * S S S...

It can be seen that the end faces 18 and 20 extend a short distance outwardly of S...

the corresponding door surfaces 60 and 62. In the embodiment shown, the invention is intended to be used with the end face 18 extending from the exposed side of the door (i.e. the side of the door which is to provide secunty against unauthorised access), whilst the end face 20 is intended to extend from the secured side of the door 58. In this regard the opposing sides of the door may be considered to be the open and closed sides.

At the end face 20, the fixing plate 42 is positioned around the portion of the lock body which protrudes from the door surface 62. The fixing plate 42 is pressed into position against the door surface 62 such that the bore 46 aligns with the groove 36 in the spine I 6. The bore 46 is threaded such that a screw or bolt 64 -10-can be inserted and tightened so as to fix the fixing plate securely to the body portion 10. An additional screw or bolt can be inserted into the threaded bore 48 on the opposing side of the fixing plate 42 and tightened so as to further secure the fixing plate on the body.

Once the fixing plate is attached, the opposing faces of the flange and fixing plate secure the cylinder lock in place in the door 58 for use such that the lock can then be operated from either side using a correspondingly shaped key.

The embodiment shown in figure 4 includes a single spacing means at the flange end of the lock body. This has the effect of moving the cylinder body slightly towards the exposed side of the door during use. This shift in position can be used to cancel out any engineering tolerances present in the door or lock in order to ensure that the lock arm is located at the centre of the door as required for correct operation. However it will be appreciated that a spacing means could alternatively be located at the opposing end, between the securing means and the door, if a shift in the opposite direction is required. A spacing means according to the present invention may be provided at both sides of the door in the event that no alteration of the position of the lock is required. Furthermore, a : *** 20 plurality of spacing means may be provided on either or both sides of the door as required for correct positioning of the lock. * ** * * S * S*

S S..

S

::.; 25

Claims

Claims: 1. A cylinder lock comprising a body portion having first and

second ends, a flange extending outwardly of the body portion in the vicinity of the first end, and securing means arranged to be located and fastened to the body portion in the vicinity of the second end, wherein the cylinder lock is provided with spacing means, the spacing means arranged to be disposed around the body portion and in abutment with the flange or securing means, such that, in use, when the cylinder lock is located in a closure, the spacing means is interposed between the lock and the closure.

2. A cylinder lock according to claim 1, wherein the spacing means has an aperture therethrough, the aperture being shaped to correspond to the profile of the body member.

3. A cylinder lock according to either claim I or claim 2, wherein the spacing means takes the form of a planar member.

4. A cylinder lock according to any preceding claim, wherein the securing * e., 20 means comprises a securing member and engagement means for fastening the securing member to the lock body. S..

5. A cylinder lock according to claim 4, wherein the securing member has one or more bores therein, the engagement means arranged to pass through the : 25 bores into engagement with the lock body.

* 6. A cylinder lock according to claim 5, wherein the engagement means and bores are threaded.

7. A cylinder lock according to either claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the securing member has two bores, each bore extending inwardly from opposing edges of the securing member.

-12 - 8. A cylinder lock according to any preceding claim, wherein the securing means comprises a securing member having an aperture therethrough, the aperture being shaped to correspond to the profile of the body member.

9. A cylinder lock according to any preceding claim, wherein the lock body has an elongate groove extending part way along the lock body.

10. A cylinder lock according to claim 9, wherein the groove is in the vicinity of the second end of the lock body in a position for location of the securing means therewith.

11. A cylinder lock according to any preceding claim, wherein the flange has a first surface arranged substantially perpendicularly to the lock body and a second surface arranged obliquely thereto.

12. A cylinder lock according to claim 11, wherein the periphery of the first surface closely surrounds the periphery of the second surface.

: *.** 20 13. A cylinder lock according to any preceding claim, wherein the lock takes *S..

the form of a double cylinder jock. S..

14. A closure having a lock disposed therein, the closure having a first and a second side, wherein the lock has a lock body located within the closure such that at a first end of the lock body protrudes from the first side of the closure and a second end of the lock body protrudes from the second side of the closure, the * first end of the lock body having a flange and the second end of the lock body having securing means fastened thereto, wherein spacing means are disposed around the body portion and in abutment with the flange or securing means and the closure.

15. A closure according to claim 14, wherein the lock body is received within a correspondingly shaped aperture within the closure.

16. A closure according to claim 14, wherein the first side of the closure is arranged to be an exposed side of the closure during use and the second side is arranged to be a secured side of the closure.

17. A cylinder lock substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

18. A closure having a lock substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. * ** * S S **.. *5S* * S * S. * a S * S.

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S S.. * Sa *S *

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