HK1053345A - Central lock mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Central locking mechanism

Cross reference to related applications

This invention claims priority from U.S. provisional application serial No. 60/288,838, filed on day 5, month 4, 2001. This application is also related to co-filed U.S. patent application No. 10/135,642 entitled "dual motor configuration for door operators". This application is also related to published U.S. patent publication No. 6032416 entitled "transport vehicle door". The disclosures of U.S. patent No. 6032416 and pending utility model application No. 10/135,642, filed concurrently herewith, are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to door hardware systems of the type commonly used to operate two-part (Bi-restraining) doors on passenger vehicles. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a central locking mechanism that locks two door panels in either a push-back or non-push-back condition.

Background

The following background information is provided to aid the reader in understanding the general context of the invention. Unless otherwise specifically stated herein, the words used herein are not to be limited to a specific, narrow understanding.

It is well known that: in the field of passenger vehicles, it is common to employ an automatic door operator having a set of locking mechanisms to lock a door panel attached to the automatic door operator, which is also actuated by the operator to close and open a door opening in a passenger vehicle. Of these door operators, relevant to the disclosure herein is a door appliance system of the type disclosed in the text and drawings of U.S. patent 6032416. Figure 1 shows a door opening in the side wall of a railway car. Next to the upper edge of the door opening, a base plate is horizontally disposed along the length thereof, which is fixed to the vehicle body above the door opening or is integrated with the vehicle body as a part thereof. The door appliance system is connected to the compartment through the base plate.

With the latching feature of the prior art door appliance system, each door hanger has a contact bracket (not shown) attached to its upper section. Above the door hanger, a contact bracket (not shown) is designed to cooperate with a first door lock assembly to form a lock for a door panel. Similarly, a second door latch assembly cooperates with a contact bracket (not shown) located above the other door hanger to form a latch for the second door panel. The first and second door lock assemblies are also a pair of mirror-symmetrical devices.

For this reason, for the sake of brevity of description, detailed description of each component of the second door lock assembly will not be given. Reference is also made to the various figures in us patent 6032416. As shown in fig. 4A-C, the first door lock assembly includes a locking element, a pivot pin, an unlatching actuator, a push-back element, a latch lever, an emergency release rotor, a full latch switch and a push-back latch switch.

As shown in fig. 5A-5C, the second door lock assembly includes a lock and an unlock actuator. The pushback member, latch lever, emergency release rotor, full lockout switch and pushback lockout switch are also shown but are not identified by numerical reference numerals in the figures for simplicity. The full latch and push-back latch are provided as door status switches, with their first contacts providing input signals to a door controller (not shown).

Referring back to fig. 4A to 4C showing the first door latch assembly, the upper end of the latch rod is pivotally connected to the body of the assembly at a point above the right end of the lock. The latch lever has a cam (shown in phantom) on the other end thereof at which the pivot pin is located. At the lower end of the latch rod is the latch itself. The full lock switch is located behind the push back lock switch and both switches are fixed to the body of the lock assembly. The push-back piece is pivotally connected to the machine body, and the pivot point is close to the right side of the push-back locking switch. The right end of the unlocking actuator is fixed to the body of the assembly. A push rod extends from the left end of the actuator. The left-most end of the push rod is connected to the upper portion of the left end of the locking element by a pin and is located in the channel junction of the push-back element.

The latch is pivotable about a pivot pin and has the following features: the locking step, the push-back step, a cam receiving groove, and forming a member at its leftmost end: a locking arm. The cam receiving groove is formed on the top side of the locking piece near its right end and the push-back step is formed on the bottom side of the locking piece near the middle. The locking step is formed at the lower portion of the right end of the locking piece.

The two latches are each arranged in the first and second latch assemblies such that they are normally biased in a downward position. Figure 4C is best shown with respect to the first door lock assembly. And figure 5C best shows a second door latch assembly. Specifically, starting with fig. 2 and continuing to fig. 4A, the process is shown whereby the contact brackets located above the door hangers slide from left to right and eventually below the underside of the latch as the first door is moved to the right toward the closed position by the motor and drive mechanism.

As the door hanger and the door to which it is attached continue to move to the right, the protuberance of the contact bracket encounters the left portion of the lower end of the latch, thereby causing the latch to rotate in a counterclockwise direction. The counterclockwise rotation causes the cam on the latch to rotate out of engagement with the cam-receiving slot on the lock. With its right end disengaged from the cam, the latch is then pivoted clockwise about a pivot pin so that its right end rests on the top of the bracket. As shown in fig. 4B, as the door outer hanger and the door attached thereto reach a position within about 40mm of the closed position, the leftmost corner of the bracket is first caught by a push-back step due to the downward bias of the latch member. This causes the pushback to rotate clockwise and engage the bottom of the pushback lockout switch. With both contacts of the switch closed, the switch closes its own portion of the DCLC train ductwork and sends a push-back lock signal to the DCU (data controller) indicating that the push-back lock has been engaged (i.e., the element is in a push-back locked state). As the motor and drive mechanism continue to perform the door closing operation, the leftmost corner of the contact bracket moves through the push-back zone between the two steps and is eventually caught by the catch step, as shown in fig. 4C. This causes the latch to pivot further clockwise about the pivot pin so that its arm extending to the left engages the bottom of the full latch switch. With its contacts closed, the full-latch switch sends a full-latch signal to a DCU indicating that full latching has been engaged in the present case. In this way, the locking element is in a fully locked state in which the leftmost corner of the contact bracket abuts the locking step, thereby preventing the door hanger and the first door to which it is attached from being reopened.

Due to the connection of the driving mechanism, the second door is moved leftward while the first door is moved rightward. Specifically, referring again to the process illustrated in fig. 2 through 5A, as the second door is moved leftward to its closed position, the contact brackets above an outer hanger of the door slide from right to left and eventually under the underside of a latch. As the exterior door hanger and the second door to which it is attached continue to move to the left, the protuberance on the bracket encounters the right portion of the assembly at the lower end of the latch, thereby causing the latch to rotate in a clockwise direction. This clockwise rotation causes the cam on the latch to rotate out of engagement with the cam-receiving slot on the lock. With its left end disengaged from the cam, the latch may then be pivoted counterclockwise about a pivot pin so that its left end falls onto the top of the bracket.

As shown in fig. 5B, as the door hanger and the door to which it is attached approach the closed position within about 40mm, the rightmost corner of the contact bracket will initially be caught by the push-back step on the locking member due to the downward biasing action on the locking member. This causes the pushback of the assembly to rotate counterclockwise and engage the bottom of the corresponding pushback lockout switch. With both contacts of the switch closed, the switch closes its own portion of the DCLC train air duct and sends a push-back lock signal to the DCU (data controller) indicating that the push-back lock of the lock has engaged (i.e., the component is in a push-back locked state).

As the motor and drive mechanism continue to close the door, the rightmost corner of the contact bracket moves through the push-back zone between the two steps on the latch and is eventually caught by the catch step, as shown in fig. 5C. This causes the latch to pivot further counterclockwise about its pivot pin so that its arm extending to the right engages the bottom of the full latch switch of the assembly. With its contacts closed, the full-latch switch sends a full-latch signal to a DCU indicating that the latch has engaged full latch in the present situation. In this manner, the latch is in a fully latched condition in which its latching step acts as an abutment against the rightmost corner of the contact bracket, thereby preventing reopening of the second door panel bracket. In addition, due to the connection of the driving mechanism, as long as any one locking piece is completely locked, the two door panels cannot be opened.

The door operator described above has two separate sets of door latch assemblies, as is common in prior art door appliance systems. As shown in fig. 2, the two door latch assemblies have separate components and are connected to the base plate at separate points on opposite sides of the doorway above the doorway. But recent practical applications have shown that: the use of two single upright door lock assemblies has several disadvantages.

As alluded to above, the two door panels are essentially mechanically coupled to one another by the drive mechanism and associated components. Thus, the two door latch assemblies act substantially in unison as the door panels move toward the open position and the fully latched position. This requires that the two latch assemblies be positioned on the base plate with such precision that they will be in the same condition as their counterpart (i.e., the other door panel) at the same time. For example, when the door panels are closed, the door lock assemblies should be able to be in the push-back locked state and then in the fully locked state at approximately the same time. If one or both of them do not, then it is conceivable: one of the door lock assemblies will remain unlocked while the other assembly is in the correct fully locked state.

In addition, these door latch assemblies include complex components that need to be adjusted to translate linear motion of the actuator into rotational motion of the latch to lock and unlock the door.

As can be seen from the above description, these door latch assemblies thus require more frequent adjustment to ensure that their action is consistent. Thus, there is a need to design a locking mechanism that: the design overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art, requires very little adjustment effort and contains very few components.

SUMMARY

The invention discloses a locking mechanism which comprises the following components: the door locking device can lock two combined doors, the two combined doors are composed of a right-hand door panel and a left-hand door panel which are respectively hung on a right-hand door operator and a left-hand door operator, the left door panel and the right door panel are driven by the two door operators to cover and open door holes arranged on a passenger vehicle, and the locking mechanism is arranged in the middle of the two door operators. The locking mechanism is operable to provide each of the passenger vehicle double doors with a pushback condition and a non-pushback condition in which the doors are fully locked. This integrated design allows the central locking mechanism to be installed and/or maintained over a doorway with minimal adjustment required to ensure that the two door lock assemblies operate in unison. Compared with the conventional design that a door lock assembly is independently arranged for each door panel in the prior art, the central locking mechanism enables the door panels to be more reliably closed and locked, and has better sealing performance to isolate the influence of outside weather and noise. Such locking mechanisms include a first support block assembly and a second support block assembly having means for mounting to the frame of the passenger vehicle; a first lock and a second lock rotatably disposed in the first and second support block assemblies, respectively. A mounting bracket is connected to the first and second support block assemblies, and a plurality of rotary actuators are mounted on the mounting bracket. A rotary actuator engages the first and second lock members to move the first and second lock members from a locked position to an unlocked position. A plurality of sensors are provided in the locking mechanism for generating a set status signal when the first and second locking members are in the latched and retracted positions. A lever-cam mechanism is rotatably disposed in the first and second support block assemblies for remotely manually unlocking the door by means of a flexible cable. A cover is provided that substantially covers the rotary actuator and the sensor from access when at least a portion of the door opening is open.

Objects of the invention

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a central locking mechanism which locks two doors using the same set of components, instead of the conventional design of the prior art which uses two separate sets of door lock components.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a central locking mechanism: which requires minimal adjustment to maintain the operational consistency of its door lock assembly.

It is a further object of the present invention to design a central locking mechanism: compared to the mechanisms existing in the prior art, it has fewer parts and is more effective in preventing unauthorized tampering by an unrelated person.

A further object of the invention is to design a central locking mechanism in which the door lock assembly can operate in the form of a two-stage door lock, that is: has two states of push-back locking and full locking.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a central locking mechanism: compared with the door lock assembly in the prior art, when the door lock assembly of the locking mechanism is in a complete locking state, the two closed door panels can have better tightness so as to resist the influence of outside weather and noise.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a central locking mechanism which has better operational reliability.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the relevant art after a review of the detailed description herein, in addition to the objects and advantages listed above. These other objects and advantages will be more apparent if the detailed description is read with reference to the drawings and claims herein.

Brief description of the drawings

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a prior art door operator installed over a doorway with the door in an open position;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the prior art door operator of FIG. 1 with the door closed;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the central locking mechanism and right and left hand door operators of the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 4A-4C are front elevational views of the left hand door latch assembly of FIGS. 1-2, with the latch member of the door latch assembly in the unlatched condition, the push-back latched condition, and the fully latched condition, respectively;

FIGS. 5A-5C are front elevational views of the right hand door latch assembly of FIGS. 1-2, with the latch member of the door latch assembly in the unlatched condition, the push-back latched condition, and the fully latched condition, respectively;

FIG. 6 is a front isometric view of the central locking mechanism of FIG. 3 in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of the central locking mechanism of FIG. 3 in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the left support block assembly of the central locking mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7;

FIG. 9 is a front view of the right support block assembly of the central locking mechanism of FIGS. 6 and 7 with the locking hook of the assembly in a push-back locked condition;

FIG. 10 is a front elevational view of the right door latch assembly with the latch hook of the assembly in a fully latched condition;

figure 11 is a front view of the right door latch assembly showing the rotary solenoid of the assembly when energized lifting the locking hook in the assembly to an unlocked condition.

Detailed description of the presently preferred embodiment and various alternative embodiments

Before describing the present invention in detail, the reader is reminded that: for the sake of brevity and understanding, identical components having identical functions will be identified, where possible, with identical reference numerals in the various figures herein.

The following background information is provided to assist the reader in understanding the general environment in which the invention may be used. Unless otherwise specifically stated herein, the words used herein are not to be limited to a specific, narrow understanding.

Fig. 1 and 2 illustrate a transit vehicle door system of the prior art, generally designated by the numeral 10, for closing and opening a door opening 12 in a side wall panel 14 of a transit vehicle 16 for the ingress and egress of passengers. The door system 10 has a first door 20 mounted for movement in a first door closing direction 22 to a first door closed position in which it at least partially conceals the door opening 12 and for movement in a first door opening direction 26 to a first door open position in which it at least partially opens the door opening 12, the first door opening direction 26 being opposite to the first door closing direction 22. The closed position is shown in fig. 1 and the open position is shown in fig. 2.

The door system further comprises a second door 110 coupled to the drive 170 for longitudinal movement opposite the first door, the second door 110 being movable in a second door closing direction 112 to a second door closing position to at least partially conceal the door opening 12 when the first door 20 is moved in the first door closing direction 22, the second door 110 being movable in a second door opening direction 116 to a second door opening position to at least partially open the door opening 12 when the first door 20 is moved in the first door opening direction 26. The second door closing direction 112 is generally opposite the first door closing direction 22, and the second door opening direction 116 is generally opposite the first door opening direction 26. Thus, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the first door 20 and the second door 110 cooperatively shield and open the door hole 12. At the same time, the longitudinal inertial and gravitational loads acting on the first door 20 at least partially cancel out the longitudinal inertial and gravitational loads acting on the second door 110. Longitudinal load transfer between the first door 20 and the second door 110 is accomplished by a portion of the drive device 170 that includes the central link 104. The driving device 170 includes: a coupling 77 connecting the motor 76 with the shaft 78; a coupling 81 connecting the shaft 78 with the first screw 80; a central coupling 104 connecting the first screw 80 with the second screw 102; the nut assembly 150 of the first door 20 and the nut assembly 190 of the second door 110.

The door system 10 has a door biasing device, as shown in FIG. 2, which preferably includes a seal 46 connected to an edge 48 of the first door 20. The door biasing device 46 is operative when the first door 20 is in the first door closed position and the second door 110 is in the second door closed position, the door biasing device applying a door biasing force to the first door 20 and the second door that urges the first door 20 in the first door opening direction 26 and the second door 110 in the second door opening direction 116, the door biasing force being interactive between the first door and the second door via the drive device 170. Preferably, the method comprises the following steps: a sealing bar 120 is also coupled to the edge 114 of the second door 110.

Fig. 3 shows a door operator 290 of the type disclosed in a copending application entitled "dual motor configuration of door operators" filed concurrently with the united states patent office, the door operator 290 performing functions substantially similar to those performed by the drive assembly 170 of fig. 1 and 2: i.e., moving the doors 20 and 110 to close and open the door opening 12.

Most roof-mounted door appliance systems, such as the vehicle door system 10, are designed to operate opening of a pair of door panels. With the present invention, as best shown in FIGS. 3, 6 and 7, a locking mechanism 200 is disposed generally centrally in the door opening 12 to lock the door 20 and 110 in a substantially closed position. The central locking mechanism 200 is most suitably associated with a door operator 290 and thus the following description of the door operator components will be directed to the door operator 290. However, it is readily apparent to those skilled in the design of passenger vehicle door locks that: the central door lock 200 can also be easily incorporated into the prior art door system 10 by varying the connection of the drive screws 80 and 102.

The locking mechanism 200 mechanically clamps the two door panels together when the two door panels are in the closed position. The locking mechanism includes two unlocking rotary solenoids 201, two locking hooks 202, two door full-lock sensors 203, two push-back sensors 204, two emergency unlocking mechanisms 205, two support block assemblies, generally designated by the reference numeral 212, a mounting bracket 213, and a cover 214. Alternatively, it is also possible to design one rotary actuator 210 to drive both side portions of the mechanism simultaneously through a suitable linkage.

Referring now to fig. 6 through 11, the door lock assembly 200 includes a first door lock 202 for locking the first door 20 in a first door closed position, as shown in fig. 10, the first door lock 202 is movable to a first door locked position in which the lock prevents opening of the first door 20, as shown in fig. 11, and a first door unlocked position in which the lock does not interfere with opening of the first door 20. The first door latch 202 is biased in a manner that tends to urge the latch toward the first door locking position.

The door lock assembly 200 has a first door unlock actuator, preferably an electrically powered rotary solenoid actuator 210, as shown in fig. 6, 9, 10 and 11, which moves the first door lock 202 from the first door locked position of fig. 10 to the first door unlocked position of fig. 11.

At least a portion of the door biasing force reacts against the first door latch 202 to produce a first door latch load on the first door latch 202 that prevents the first door latch 202 from moving from the first door latched position to the first door unlatched position by itself when the motor 301 is not energized, whereby, when an unlatching operation of the first door 20 is desired, a door closing signal is sent to the motor 301 in addition to the first door unlatching signal to the first door unlatching actuator 201 to produce a first door closing force to overcome at least a portion of the door biasing force, thereby unloading at least a portion of the first door latch load on the first door latch 202 before the first door unlatching actuator 210 can move the first door latch 202 from the first door latched position to the first door unlatched position, whereby, under conditions in which a false door opening signal is sent to only one of the motor 301 or the first door unlatching actuator 201, the door system 10 cannot be unlocked.

In the presently preferred embodiment, in the locked position shown in fig. 10, the locking step 216 provided on the latch 202 engages the moving hook stop 207 provided on the first door hanger 312. The first door hanger 312 is the leading support of the door 20. In the presently preferred embodiment, the lock 202 is pivotally connected to an eccentric pivot 218 to bias it toward the locked position under the force of gravity as shown in figures 9 and 10. A resilient biasing means 206 is provided in the support block assembly 212 to further bias the first door 202 toward the locked position. In the preferred embodiment, as shown in fig. 9 and 10, the resilient biasing means comprises a torsion spring 206 mounted about a pivot 218 with one end engaging the lock 202 and the distal end engaging the tongue 220 as shown in fig. 8. The spring 206 is pre-torsionally loaded and installed to bias the lock 202 toward the locked position as shown in figures 9 and 10. The rotary actuator 201, when energized, causes the cam 211 mounted on the output shaft of the rotary actuator 201 to rotate, thereby directly pushing one end of the door latch 202 to lift the door latch 202 in a counterclockwise direction to turn it to the unlocked position of fig. 11.

With further reference to fig. 9, the moving hook stop 207 is pressed against a push-back step 222 provided on the latch 202, the moving hook stop 207 being connected to a first door hanger 312 by a threaded fastener 210.

When lock 202 is in the retracted position, if a body part, garment, or item of the passenger is gripped by door 20, the passenger may push door 20 in door opening direction 26 to a door retracted position, which is achieved by step 222, to pull the body part, garment, or item out. When the door 20 is in the door pushed-back position, the closure of the door opening 12 is already sufficiently high that the passenger cannot drill out of the door slot 12.

Fig. 10 shows a latch 202, which is preferably formed as an arm pivotally mounted about pivot 218, having a step 216 against which the fly hook stop 207 abuts when the door is in the fully latched position.

A lock push-back sensor 204 is shown in fig. 6 and 7, the sensor 204 being engageable with a cam 224 in the support block assembly 212 shown in fig. 8 when the lock 202 is in the push-back position shown in fig. 9. A cam 224 disposed in the support block assembly 212 further engages a further push-back sensor 204 when the lock 202 is in the locked position shown in fig. 10. In the presently preferred embodiment, the push-back sensor 204 is a solid state limit switch. Alternatively, the push-back sensor 204 may be a proximity switch. In addition, the push-back sensor 204 is connected to a control system (not shown) via a connecting wire (not shown) and generates a set signal when the lock 202 is in the push-back position.

Also shown in fig. 6 and 7 is a fully latched sensor 203, which sensor 203 engages a portion of the latch arm 202 when the latch arm 202 is shown in the fully latched position. In addition, the full lock sensor 203 is connected to a control system (not shown) via a connecting wire (not shown) that generates a set signal when the lock 202 is in the full lock position. In the presently preferred embodiment, the fully latched sensor 203 is a solid state limit switch.

Alternatively, the push-back sensor 204 may be a proximity switch. Additionally, in the preferred embodiment illustrated, the sensor 203 is mounted proximate to the sensor 204.

As best shown in fig. 8, the support block assembly 212 includes a first mounting portion 226 having a bore 230 for connection to a drive rod 213 disposed in the door operator 300. The mounting portion 226 further includes a bore 232 for receiving the lock 202 and at least one threaded bore 228 coupled to the mounting bracket 213. The support block assembly 212 further includes a second mounting portion 234 coupled to the first mounting portion 226 and having at least one mounting aperture 236 for attachment to a frame (not shown) of the passenger vehicle.

On the second mounting portion 234 is mounted an emergency release lever 205 for manually opening the door 20 by means of a flexible pulling element 72, as best shown in fig. 6, wherein the pulling element 72 is connected to one end of the emergency release lever 205, or as best shown in fig. 7: is connected to the end of a rod 74. The flexible pulling element 72 may be, for example, a rope, cable, strap, chain, or the like.

A cam 224 is engaged with the push-back limit switch 204 in each door lock assembly, and the end of the cam 224 is connected to the emergency release lever 205. To manually open the door 20, the cam 224 rotates the lock 202 in a counterclockwise direction to fully unlock the door 20. The cam 224 also engages the moving hook stopper 207 to move the moving hook stopper 207 in the right-hand direction, more specifically, to push the door 20 in the door-opening direction to partially open the door slot 12 by a stroke of about 20 mm. Thus, when this is done, the passenger can recognize that the door system 10 has been unlocked and the passenger can grasp the door edge to pull the door 20 open a sufficient width to facilitate removal from the transport vehicle 16.

A door panel stop 220 is provided in the second mounting portion 234 and is generally configured to prevent movement of the door panel in the event of a failure of the door operator 290. In the presently preferred embodiment, the door panel blocking means 220 is formed as a portion substantially perpendicular to the second mounting portion 234. Alternatively, the door panel stopping means 220 may comprise a resilient rubber stop attached to the second mounting portion 234 with a threaded fastener.

In the door open position, the latch 202 is biased as normal to a downwardly oriented condition about its pivot 218 under the influence of gravity and the torsional biasing spring element 206. During door closing, a ramp surface 209 on a stationary hook stop 208 engages a profiled nose 223 provided on the latch 202 to generate a force, wherein the stationary hook stop 208 is mounted to the hanger 312, which acts on the latch to rotate it in a counterclockwise direction to subsequently clear the latch of the movable stop 207 also mounted to the hanger 312 by engagement of the movable hook stop 207 with the latch recess 222. The general case is: the prior art systems have one or more additional components to adjust the rotational positioning and timing of the lock-like structure during the close-start cycle to achieve the above-described engagement relationship with a similar locking surface or mechanism entity.

In the presently preferred embodiment, each mirror image of the components of the central locking mechanism 200 includes a second door lock 202, as shown in fig. 6 and 7, for securing the second door 110 in the closed position. Disposed with the second door lock 202 is a second door unlock actuator 201 that is connected to a control system (not shown) by a line (not shown). A second support block assembly 212, a second full lock sensor and a second push back sensor 204 are also provided. The second door latch 202 is preferably biased toward a second door locking position shown in fig. 10, in which the second latch presses against a movable hook stop 207 of the door 110 hanger 121, thereby preventing opening of the second door. The second door latch 202 is also movable by the second door unlock actuator 201 to a second door unlock position shown in fig. 11 in which the latch renders the second door 110 openable.

Preferably, the method comprises the following steps: at least a portion of the door biasing force is applied to the second door latch 202, thereby creating a second door latch load on the second door latch 202. The second door latch load prevents second door latch 202 from moving from the second door latched position to the second door unlatched position when motor 301 is not energized such that unlatching the second door sends a door closing signal to motor 301 to generate a second door closing force to overcome at least a portion of the door biasing force in addition to delivering a second door unlatching signal to second door unlatching actuator 201, thereby unloading at least a portion of the second door latch load from acting on second door latch 202 before second door unlatching actuator 201 is able to move second door latch 202 from the second door latched position to the second door unlatched position. Thus, the first door locker and the second door locker have a redundancy measure for the locking of the first door 20 and the second door 110.

In the presently preferred embodiment, second door latch 202 has a second latch return position 222 shown in fig. 9, such that if a body part, garment, or other item of an occupant is gripped by second door 110, the occupant may push second door 110 in second door opening direction 116 to a door return position, which is achieved by second door latch 202, to pull out the body part, garment, or item. When the second door is in the second door push-back position, the closure of the door slot 12 is already high enough that the passenger cannot drill out of the door slot 12.

A second emergency release mechanism similar to emergency release mechanism 205 should be provided for releasing second latch 202 in the event of an emergency. The second emergency release rotor should be activated at the same time as the first emergency release mechanism 205. For example, each emergency release mechanism may have a flexible pulling member 72, with both pulling members being actuated by the same handle.

During movement of the door 20 or 110 toward the closed position, once the door 20 or 110 reaches a push-back zone, the lock 202 falls into a first push-back locking stage, wherein the push-back zone is approximately 57.5 millimeters from the substantially fully closed position. At this time, the push-back limit switch 204 is activated to confirm this state in fig. 9.

As the door 20 or 110 continues to close to an almost fully closed position, the door 20 or 110 cannot be reopened beyond the push-back region, whether manually or power driven, because the first lock stage portion 222 engages a moving hook stop.

Once a substantially fully closed position is reached, a seal 46 is compressed against the mating door edge strip 120. The lock 202 drops into the second locking stage having a second stage locking portion 216, shown in figure 10, which engages a movable hook stop 207. The door full lock limit switch 203 is activated to confirm this condition. Once the second stage latch is engaged, power to the door motor is stopped, but the compression effect of part of the door seal is still present due to the action of the latch 202.

At the beginning of the door opening stroke, a door opening signal output from a door operator (not shown) first presses the door 20 and the door 110 against each other in the closing direction to further compress the door seals 46 and 120. This closing movement completely removes the preload on the latch 202 that occurs due to the moveable hook stop 207 mounted on the front edge of the linear bearing housing. Once the preload is removed, the unlocking solenoid 201 is energized to disengage the locking element 202 as shown in fig. 11. When the opening degree of the door or 110 exceeds the push-back region, the power to the unlocking solenoid 201 is cut off, and the locking member 202 falls down by gravity.

The central locking mechanism has several features. It is designed to operate with two completely independent door locks in the same set of locking assemblies when the double door is opened. Thus, in the event of a fault, the door 20 or 110 affected by the fault can be shielded, while the operation of the mating door 110 or 20 is maintained. In this way, passengers can still enter and exit the door opening 12, but the amount of traffic is reduced.

In the fully closed position of the door, the locking mechanism 200 maintains the mechanical compression relationship between the sealing strips 46, 120 on the leading edge of the door. This has three uses. First, as a hazard prevention measure, this prevents the lock 202 from unlocking itself unless a door operator (not shown) first presses against the door seal. This means that: even if a failure energizes the unlock solenoid 201, it cannot open the door 20 or 110 unless the door operator first performs a higher degree of compression on the door seals 46 and 120; second, this reduces the maximum amount of noise in the passenger vehicle 16 and the vibration of the doors during travel.

The door lock assembly in the central locking mechanism 200 can operate in a two-stage lock, that is: there are two states of push-back locking and full locking. The unique shape of the lock 202 allows the door to be mechanically locked in two distinct areas: (1) a door push-back zone; and (2) a fully closed door position in which the latch 202 has a push-back step 222 and a locking step 216.

When the doors 20 and 110 are locked in the pushback region, neither can they open more than 57.5 mm, even in the event of a power failure or circuit problem with the door operator 290 or door operator (not shown). Thus, the passenger vehicle can safely leave the station also under the condition that the doors 20 and 110 are locked in the pushback zone. The advantage of the passenger vehicle leaving the station in the condition of the doors 20, 110 being locked in the pushback zone is twofold. First, when the passenger vehicle leaves the station, if the passenger is caught between the door panels, the passenger can get out of the catching by opening the door panels by a distance of up to 57.5 mm. This movement of the door is detected and reported to the driver/monitoring system (not shown) of the passenger vehicle. Without this feature, if the door is locked in the fully closed position, the passenger will be constantly trapped between the door panels, as can be imagined: and even pulled away by a train. Secondly, the push-back zone is large enough to allow the passenger to free himself (or pull his purse, bag) but not so large that the passenger falls out of the door.

The central locking mechanism 200 also has an automatic locking feature. To unlock doors 20 and 110, solenoid 201 must be energized. When the solenoid 201 is de-energized, the lock 202 automatically moves downward to the door-locking position under the influence of gravity (i.e., the center of gravity forces the lock into the locked position) and the torsion spring 206.

The central locking mechanism 200 requires only two adjustments compared to existing door lock assemblies. The first adjustment is to the door 20 or door 110, and more specifically to the alignment of the doors 20 and 110, due to the dimensional tolerances of the various components of the doors 20 and 110, the door seals 46, 120, and the upper top door mechanism 290. Such adjustment can be performed simply by loosening the fastener 210 and moving the movable support 207 to a set position.

The second adjustment is to ensure that the activation of sensors 203 and 204 is timely and appropriate, and wherein sensors 203 and 204 can be adjusted simultaneously.

The number of components of the central locking mechanism 200 is small compared to existing conventional door lock assemblies that employ linear electric or pneumatic actuators. The locking mechanism is purposely designed to contain as few components as possible. To achieve this, the individual parts must be deliberately designed to have multiple functions. For example, the support block assembly 212 has many uses. Each assembly 212 supports a door panel via a linear shaft 213 and provides a pivot point for one of the locking hooks 202. The support block assembly 212 also serves as a mounting base for the solenoid 201 and switches 203, 204. The assembly also supports an emergency release lever 205 and wiring harnesses for the various electrical components in central locking mechanism 200. The assembly also acts as a stop for the door panel in the event of a failure of the drive mechanism. Each support block assembly 212 also supports a cam for actuating the push-back limit switch 204 in each door latch assembly. In addition, a rotary solenoid 201 is connected to the locking member 202 through a cam 211.

The central locking mechanism 200 is also designed to be tamper resistant. Because the locking mechanism 200 is disposed directly above the doorway 12, the occupant is able to break the latch assembly when the doors 20 and 110 are fully open. To reduce the likelihood of passenger tampering, the locking mechanism 200 is configured with the following features. First, a cover 214 having a limited number of apertures is used to shield the central portion of the locking mechanism 200, which prevents debris from collecting inside the mechanism 200 and tampering with the mechanism 200. Second, in those sections of the mechanism 200 that cannot be structurally protected with a cover, the exposed components are made of a material having a set strength to resist tampering by unrelated personnel. Third, the retainer hook stop 208 of each locking assembly has a ramp 209 that lifts the corresponding lock 202 when the door is closed. The latch hook 202 is exposed when the door is open, and the latch hook 202 remains normally biased downward when the door 20, 110 is opened. As the door is closed, the ramp 209 on each stop 208 lifts the corresponding latch 202, which is then automatically engaged. Additionally, even if someone were to tamper with the lock 202 (e.g., lift or depress it), the operation of the door would not be affected.

While the presently preferred and various additional alternative embodiments of the invention are described in detail above with reference to the provisions of the patent statutes, it should be recognized that: numerous other modifications and adaptations may occur to those skilled in the relevant art without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (14)

1. A locking mechanism engageable with a first door hanger bracket disposed in a first door operator of a passenger vehicle, said locking mechanism also being engageable with a first door bracket disposed in a second door operator of said passenger vehicle, said locking mechanism being disposed intermediate said first door operator and said second door operator generally proximate a central location of a door opening in a side wall of the passenger vehicle to facilitate passenger access, said locking mechanism comprising:

(a) a first support assembly mounted to the passenger vehicle;

(b) a second support assembly mounted to the passenger vehicle, said second support assembly being substantially symmetrical in arrangement with said first support assembly;

(c) a mounting bracket connected at a first end to said first support member and at an end to said second support member;

(d) a first and second rotary actuator connected to said mounting bracket;

(e) a first lock disposed in said first support assembly, said first lock connected at one end to said first lock, said first lock having a distal end engaged with a door bracket disposed on a first door;

(f) a second latch disposed in said second support assembly, said second latch coupled at one end to said second latch, said second latch having a distal end engaged to a door bracket disposed on a second door;

(g) a manual means connected to said first support assembly for manually opening said first door;

(h) a manual means connected to said second support assembly for manually opening said second door;

(i) a means disposed in said locking mechanism for generating at least one electrical signal indicative of a set condition; and

(ii) a cover connected at one end to said first support member and at an end to said second support member, said cover substantially concealing said rotary actuator from access when said door opening is at least partially uncovered.

2. The lock mechanism of claim 1, wherein said support assembly further comprises:

(a) a first mounting portion;

(b) a second mounting portion connected to said first mounting portion;

(c) a bore disposed in said first mounting portion for engaging a drive rod disposed in said door operator;

(d) a bore disposed in said first mounting portion for engaging said locking member;

(e) at least one aperture provided in said second mounting portion for connection to a frame member of the passenger vehicle; and

(f) a door stop disposed on said second mounting portion for substantially preventing movement of the door in the event of a failure of the door operator.

3. The locking mechanism of claim 2, wherein: said door stop means includes a shaped portion substantially perpendicular to said second mounting portion.

4. The locking mechanism of claim 2, wherein: the door stop device includes a resilient rubber stop connected to the second mounting portion.

5. The locking mechanism of claim 1, wherein: said means connected to said support assembly for manually opening said door comprising

(a) An unlocking lever rotatably connected to said support member;

(b) a flexible cable connected to said lock release lever for rotating said lock release lever, said flexible cable being manually operable from a remote location; and

(c) a cam mounted on said release lever, said cam being engageable with said latch to rotate said latch from said locked position to said first unlocked position, said cam being further engageable with a bracket provided on said door to move said door a set distance in a door opening direction to open a portion of the door opening, such that a person can see that said door system has been unlocked and has a grip to push said door open sufficiently wide to facilitate removal from the passenger vehicle.

6. The locking mechanism of claim 1, wherein: said means disposed in said locking mechanism for generating at least one set state electrical signal comprising:

(a) a first lock sensor for generating a set status signal when said first lock member is in a substantially locked position;

(b) a first push-back sensor which generates a set status signal when said first locking member is in the push-back locking position;

(c) a second lock sensor for generating a set status signal when said second lock is in the substantially locked position; and

(d) a second push-back sensor that generates a set status signal when said second locking element is in the push-back locking position.

7. The locking mechanism of claim 6, wherein: the sensor is of the solid state limit switch type.

8. The locking mechanism of claim 6, wherein: the sensors are proximity sensors.

9. The lock mechanism of claim 1, wherein said lock is mounted by: such that the effect of gravity tends to move the latch to the latched position such that at least a portion of the biasing force of the first door latch is provided by gravity.

10. The locking mechanism of claim 1, wherein: the door system further includes a resilient biasing means for applying a resilient force to the first door lock member in a direction to effect locking thereof, whereby at least a portion of the biasing force of the first door lock member is provided by the resilient member.

11. The locking mechanism of claim 10, wherein: the resilient biasing means is a torsion spring having one end engaged with the locking member and a distal end engaged with the support assembly.

12. The locking mechanism of claim 1, wherein: the door latch has a latch return position between a return step and a locking step in which the door is manually moved in an opening direction to form a slot for withdrawing a portion of a person, garment, or other item gripped by the door system while preventing the entire person from falling out of the slot.

13. The locking mechanism of claim 6, wherein: said first unlocking sensor and said first push-back sensor are mounted substantially close to each other so that both sensors can be adjusted simultaneously, and said second unlocking sensor and said second push-back sensor are mounted substantially close to each other so that both sensors can be adjusted simultaneously.

14. The locking mechanism of claim 1, wherein: the rotary actuator is an electrical solenoid having a simple cam mounted on one end thereof, the cam engaging a latch such that, upon energizing the rotary actuator, the cam rotates to move the latch from the latched position to the first unlatched position.