Locking Device

Abstract

In a locking device for locking to and disconnecting from the floor a movable wall element, upon impact from an outside force on the release pin, it moves against the springback factor of the second spring from stop to release position allowing the latch pin to move due to springback of the first spring from the release to stop location. The locking device has a rocker jointed to the frame to turn around the horizontal pivot shaft, horizontally displaced from the first guide. The rocker has a first head cooperating with the latch pin upper end to move the latch pin when turning the rocker around the pivot shaft, and a second head to which a downwards impacting force can be directed to turn the rocker around the pivot shaft to lift the latch pin from the stop to the release location against springback of the first spring.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a locking device defined in the preamble of claim 1.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Previously known is a locking device, disclosed in JP 2001003626, according to preamble of claim 1 for locking to the floor and disconnecting from the floor a top-suspended partition wall element, folding door, sliding door or the like. The locking device is provided with a frame which is attached to the lower edge of the door or the like. The frame has an essentially vertical first guide and an essentially horizontal second guide. The latch pin is movable between the stop location and the release location in the guiding of the first guide. In the stop location, the lower end of the latch pin is extended downwards to a distance from the frame outside of the frame for locking to the floor. In the release location, the latch pin is disconnected from the floor essentially withdrawn into the frame to release the door or the like to move in relation to the floor. The first spring is arranged to force the latch pin towards the stop location. The release pin is movable between the stop position and the release position in the guiding of the second guide. In the stop position, the release pin holds the latch pin up in the release location while the outer end of the release pin extends out of the frame. In the release position, the release pin releases the latch pin to move into the stop location. The second spring is arranged to force the release pin towards the stop position. When there is an impact from an outside force on the release pin, as when it hits an obstacle, the release pin moves against the springback factor of the second spring from stop position into release position so that the latch pin can move due to the springback factor of the first spring from the release location into the stop location and the latch pin can lock into the socket in the floor. The socket in the floor is provided with an inclined surface the purpose of which is to return the latch pin back up inside the frame into the release location when the door or the like is being moved. A problem is that the locking of the latch pin into the floor is not very secure and even an unintentional moving of the door may open the lock. Furthermore, a problem is that a rather large sized connection piece provided with inclined surfaces needs to be attached to the floor. Furthermore, a problem in the locking device is that it has no parts with the help of which the latch pin could be easily lifted from the stop location into release location if the latch pin has unintentionally gone into the stop location in a spot other than where the connection piece is attached to the floor.

A more remote prior art presented in FI 111749 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,274 has an opposite function of the locking device than that in said JP publication because the latch pin or the like is being burdened continuously with a spring towards the release location and moving it into the stop location is done by using force against the springback factor. In the FI publication, the release pin strives to hold the latch pin in a locked position from which it relaxes upwards to the release location by moving the release pin. The locking is not secure because it may release easily unintentionally.

THE OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to remove the above-mentioned disadvantages.

Especially the object of the present invention is to present a locking device, which has a simple structure and is economical and secure to use.

Furthermore, the object of the present invention is to present a locking device in which the latch pin is continuously burdened against the stop location and in which its return from the stop location to the release location is as easy as possible and may take place as ergonomically as possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A locking device according to the present invention is characterized in Claim 1

According to the invention, the locking device is provided with a rocker which is jointed to the frame so that it turns around the horizontal pivot shaft, and said pivot shaft is horizontally at a distance from the first guide, and said rocker is provided with a first head which is adapted to work together with the upper end of the latch pin in order to move the latch pin when turning the rocker around the pivot shaft, and a second head, to which a downwards directed force can be applied in order to turn the rocker around the pivot shaft in order to lift the latch pin from the stop location into the release location against the springback factor of the first spring.

The advantage of the invention is that the latch pin stays firmly in the stop location until, by using the rocker, it is lifted against the springback factor of the first spring into the release location. By using the rocker, the direction of the opening movement is advantageously downwards and in this way ergonomic so that the latch pin can be released from the stop location to the release location for example by pressing the rocker down by the foot and the user does not need to bend down to lift any lever by hand. Furthermore, an advantage of the present invention is that the locking does not ever unintentionally open for example due to attempts to move the movable wall element while it is in a locked position. Neither does the unintentional touching of the release pin cause the opening of the locking while the latch pin is in the stop location.

In one embodiment of the locking device, the release pin is provided with an arm which has the first waisting. The second guide and the release pin are tangent to the first guide partly crossing it. In the vicinity of the lower end of the latch pin, there is a second waisting which is adapted to receive the arm of the release pin in order to hold the latch pin in the release location. The first waisting of the release pin is adapted so that when the first waisting is moved to be in line with the latch pin, the latch pin is free to move between the stop location and the release location.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the cross sections of the arm of the release pin and the first waisting are round.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the latch pin is a piece made of a single uniform material, in which the said second waisting has been formed.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the cross section of the latch pin is round.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the latch pin has a peripheral groove which forms the second waisting.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the latch pin is provided with an upper part and a lower part which is transversely narrower than the upper part, forming the second waisting.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the upper part and the lower part are separate pieces which are connected to each other by connecting members.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the upper part has a cross section that is round, or a quadrangular parallelepiped, or the upper part is provided with both round and planar shapes.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the cross section of the lower part is round.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the first spring is adapted to act between the frame and the rocker in order to force the latch pin towards the stop location.

In an embodiment of the locking device, in the vicinity of the upper end of the latch pin there is a hole, socket or the like which has been adapted to receive the first head of the rocker.

In an embodiment of the locking device, in the second end of the rocker is disposed a handle or the like which extends horizontally transversely to a distance from the rocker and to which handle the downwards directed force has to be focused manually such as pressing by foot or other suitable tool.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the frame is provided with a first chamber inside of which the rocker and the first spring have been fitted, and a second chamber inside of which the second spring and the release pin have been fitted and which forms the second guide for the release pin.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the frame is made of light alloy such as an extrusion profile made of aluminum.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the frame is a piece formed of one or several extruded plastic pieces connected together.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the sides of the first chamber are limited by two vertical walls which are at a distance from each other, and the pivot shaft supporting the rocker is a pin which is supported by the walls by its ends.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the walls form at least a part of the first guide in order to guide the latch pin.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the first spring is a coil spring fitted to be a bending stress spring which is suspended to be supported by the walls using a through-passing pin.

In an embodiment of the locking device, the second spring is a coil spring fitted to be a pressure spring which is fitted into the second chamber in relation to the frame between a fixed support and the release pin.

LIST OF FIGURES

In the following the present invention is explained in detail through examples of embodiments and referring to the attached drawing in which

FIG. 1 presents an embodiment of the locking device according to the invention as a longitudinal section, installed in the lower edge of the movable wall element while the latch pin is in the release location.

FIG. 2 presents a section II-II of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 presents a section III-III of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 presents the locking device of FIG. 1 when the latch pin is in the stop location,

FIG. 5 presents a section V-V of FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 presents a movable wall system in a closed position in which the movable wall elements are fitted with the locking devices according to the invention,

FIG. 7 presents a part of the movable wall system of FIG. 6 when one movable wall element is folded open and the adjacent movable wall element is moved next to it in order to be turned,

FIG. 8 presents the movable wall system of FIG. 6 when all the movable wall elements are folded open,

FIG. 9 presents the latch pin of another embodiment of the locking device according to the invention, seen from the side, and the cross sections A-A- and B-B of the latch pin, and

FIG. 10 presents the latch pin of a third embodiment of the locking device according to the invention, seen from the side, alternatives a)-d) of the cross section C-C of the upper part of the latch pin, and the cross section D-D.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1-5 show a locking device 1 with which the movable wall elements 2 presented in FIGS. 6-9 or movable partition walls, turning or sliding doors or the like can be releasably locked to the floor 5 to be immobile.

The locking device 1 is provided with a frame 6 which is connected to the lower edge 4 of the movable wall element 2. The frame 6 is provided with an essentially vertical first guide 7 and an essentially horizontal second guide 8. The latch pin 9 is movable between the stop location I and the release location II in the guiding of the essentially vertical first guide 7.

In FIGS. 1-3, the latch pin 9 is in the release location II in which the latch pin 9 is detached from touching the floor 5 essentially withdrawn inside the frame so that the movable wall element 2 or the like is free to move in relation to the floor 5.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, the latch pin 9 is in the stop location I in which the lower end 11 of the latch pin 9 is extended downwards to a distance from and outside of the frame 6 so that the lower end 11 can extend into the socket 32 or equivalent hold member in the floor 5. The first spring 12 is arranged to force the latch pin 9 towards the stop location I.

Further, the locking device 1 is provided with a release pin 13 which is movable between the stop position III and the release position IV in the guiding of the second guide 8.

In FIGS. 1-3, the release pin 13 is in the stop position III in which the release pin 13 holds the latch pin 9 up in the release location II.

In this position, the outer end 15 of the release pin 13 extends horizontally out of the frame 6.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, the release pin 13 is in the release position IV in which the release pin 13 releases the latch pin 9 to move freely between the release location II and the stop location I.

The second spring 16 is arranged to force the release pin 13 towards the stop position III.

Locking of the locking device 1 occurs automatically when there is an impact from an outside force on the release pin 13 such as when it hits a fixed stopper. Then, the release pin 13 moves against the springback factor of the second spring 16 from the stop position III of FIGS. 1-3 to the release position IV of FIGS. 4 and 5 so that the latch pin 9 is released to move from the release location II down to the stop location I due to the pressing of the springback factor of the first spring 12.

The locking device 1 is provided with a rocker 17 which is jointed to the frame 6 so that it turns around the horizontal pivot shaft 18, and said pivot shaft is horizontally at a distance from the first guide. The rocker 17 is provided with a first head 19 which is adapted to co-operation with the upper end 10 of the latch pin 9 in order to move the latch pin 9 when turning the rocker 17 around the pivot shaft 18 and vice versa. A downwards impacting force F can be directed to the second head 20 of the rocker 17 in order to turn the rocker 17 around the pivot shaft 18 in order to lift the latch pin 9 from the stop location I to the release location II against the springback factor of the first spring 12.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, the cross section of the latch pin 9 is round and it is formed of one single part. Preferably, the latch pin 9 is formed by lathe work. In the frame 6, there is a vertical boring inside which the latch pin 9 has been fitted. The boring forms the first guide 7 for guiding the movement of the latch pin.

The release pin 13 is provided with an arm 21, whose cross section is round and in which the first waisting 22 has been formed, as presented in FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 5. The second guide 8 and the release pin 13 are tangent to the first guide partly crossing it, as is presented in cross section FIGS. 3 and 5. In the vicinity of the lower end 11 of the latch pin 9 there is a second waisting 23 which is fitted to receive inside itself the round arm 21 of the release pin 13 in order to hold the latch pin 9 in the release location II (See FIGS. 1 and 3). The second waisting 23 is here a peripheral groove, which is lathed in the latch pin 9. The first waisting 22 of the release pin 13 is fitted so that when the first waisting 22 is moved to be matching together with the latch pin 9, the latch pin is free to move between the stop location I and the release location II (See FIGS. 4 and 5).

As is best presented in FIGS. 1 and 4, the first spring 12 impacts between the frame 6 and the rocker 17 in order to force the latch pin 9 towards the stop location I. In the vicinity of the upper end 10 of the latch pin 9 there is a hole 24, which is fitted to receive inside itself the first head 19 of the rocker 17. In the second end 20 of the rocker 17 is organized a handle 25 or the like which reaches horizontally transversely to a distance from the rocker 17. Using a downwards directed force F, such as pressing by a foot or other suitable tool, the handle 25 can be pressed downwards from the position of FIGS. 4 and 5 into the position of FIGS. 1-3.

The frame 6 is made of light alloy, such as an extrusion profile made of aluminum, in which two chambers 26 and 27 have been formed. The frame 6 is provided with the first chamber 26 inside which the rocker 17 and the first spring 12 have been fitted. Furthermore, the frame 6 is provided with a second chamber 27 inside which the second spring 16 and the release pin 13 have been fitted and which forms the second guide 8 for the release pin 13. The sides of the first chamber 26 are limited by two vertical walls 28, 29 which are at a distance from each other. The pivot shaft 18 supporting the rocker 17 is a pin which is supported by the walls 28, 29 by its ends. The first spring 12 is a coil spring fitted to be a bending stress spring which is supported by the walls 28, 29 using a pin 30. The second spring 16 is a coil spring fitted to be a pressure spring which is fitted into the second chamber 27 in relation to the frame 6 between a fixed support 31 and the release pin 13.

In another embodiment, the frame 6 can be formed of one or several plastic pieces made by injection molding.

FIGS. 6-8 present a movable wall system, in which the movable wall elements 2 are equipped with the locking devices 1 of FIGS. 1-5.

There are four pieces of elements 2 in the example of FIG. 6. The movable wall system of FIG. 6 is in the closed position in which the movable wall elements 2 are sequentially in the same vertical plane and form a partitioning wall. In FIG. 8, the movable wall system is in the open position, in which the movable wall elements 2 have been moved to be side by side and turned into a perpendicular position against the image plane. FIG. 7 presents an intermediary stage when moving the movable wall elements from the plane of FIG. 6 to the position in FIG. 7.

The system is top-suspended, so-called, so that it is provided with an upper guide 33, which is installed in the fixed structure of the building and which supports and guides the movable wall elements 2 when they are moved. The total weight of the movable wall elements 2 is carried by the upper guide 33. FIG. 6 presents a straight upper guide 33, but angles, curves and other lines diverging from straight can be formed in the upper guide 33. Furthermore, the movable wall elements 2 can be turned around a vertical axle in order to open the wall, as is explained in more detailed in FIGS. 7 and 8.

The movable wall elements 2 are provided with a rectangular glass pane 34 equipped with sash profiles 35, 36. The first sash profile 35 is attached to the horizontal upper edge 3 of the movable wall element 2. The wheelsets 37, 38, which move on the brackets of the upper guide 33, are attached to the first sash profile 35. In the horizontal lower edge 4 of the movable wall element 2 there is an equivalent second sash profile 35 to which the locking device 1 is attached. The locking device 1 is fitted in the box-like space inside the sash profile 36, as presented in FIGS. 1-5.

In FIG. 6, the movable wall elements 2 are locked in the closed position with the locking devices 1.

FIG. 7 illustrates a situation in which the left hand movable wall element 2 has been turned into a perpendicular position against the image plane into the open position using the latch pin 9 of the locking device 1 which is in the stop location I inside the socket 32 in the floor 5 as a trunnion of the lower end of the movable wall element 2, around which trunnion the turning has occurred. The adjacent movable wall element 2 has been moved into its own pivot position beside the turned movable wall element 2 and is still parallel with the image plane. The latch pin 9 of the locking device 1 is in the release location II but is moving into the stop location I as soon as the release pin 13 hits the edge of the lower sash profile 36 of the turned movable wall element 2. Once this has happened, also the second movable wall element 2 can be turned into the open position, to be perpendicular to the image plane.

FIG. 8 illustrates the situation in which all of the four movable wall elements 2 of the movable wall system of FIG. 6 have been turned into the open position and the latch pins 9 of their locking devices are in the stop location I extended into the sockets 32 in the floor 5.

FIG. 9 presents a latch pin 9 made of a single uniform material. The latch pin 9 is provided with an upper part 39, whose cross section is round, and a lower part 40, which in a transverse direction is narrower than the upper part 39, which forms the second waisting 23. In the release location of the latch pin 9, the arm of the release pin 13 rests against the stopper surface, which is formed in the transition between the upper part and the lower part.

In the embodiment of FIG. 10, the upper part 39 and the narrower lower part 40 of the latch pin 9, are separate pieces, which have been connected together by appropriate connections 41, which in this case are threaded connecting members. In the lower part 40, there is an externally threaded pin and the upper part 39 has an internally threaded dead hole into which the external threading of the pin of the lower part 40 can be driven. Section C-C illustrates the various possible cross section shapes of the upper part 39. The cross section of the upper part 39 can be a) round, b) square, c) rectangular, or d) it can have straight and round shapes. The cross section 40 D-D of the lower part is preferably round.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment examples presented above, but many variations are possible while remaining in the framework of the idea of the invention defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A locking device (1) for locking to and disconnecting from the floor (5) a movable wall element (2), door or the like, which has an upper edge (3) and a lower edge (4), which locking device (1) comprises

a frame 6, which can be attached to the lower edge (4) of the movable wall element, door or the like, and in which frame there is an essentially vertical first guide (7) and an essentially horizontal second guide (8).

a latch pin (9), which has an upper end (10) and a lower end (11), and which latch pin is movable in the guiding of the first guide (7) between the stop location (I) and the release location (II), in which the stop location (I) the lower end (11) of the latch pin is extended downwards to a distance from and outside of the frame in order to be locked into the floor (5), and in which release location (II) the latch pin (9) is disconnected from the floor essentially withdrawn inside the frame in order to release the movable wall element, door or the like to move in relation to the floor (5),

a first spring (12), which is arranged to force the latch pin (9) towards the stop location (I).

a release pin (13), which has an inner end (14) and an outer end (15), and which release pin is movable in the guiding of the second guide (8) between the stop position (III) and the release position (IV), in which stop position (III) the release pin holds the latch pin (9) up in the release location (II) while the outer end (15) of the release pin extends out of the frame (6), and in which release position (IV) the release pin (13) releases the latch pin (9) to move into the stop location (I), and

a second spring (16), which is arranged to force the release pin (13) towards the stop position (III) so that due to the impact of an outside force directed to the release pin, such as when hitting a stopper, when the release pin moves against the springback factor of the second spring from the stop position to the release position, the latch pin can move due to the impact of the springback factor of the first spring from the release location (II) to the stop location (I), characterized in that the locking device is provided with a rocker (17), which is jointed to the frame (6) so that it turns around a horizontal pivot shaft (18), and which pivot shaft is horizontally at a distance from the first guide, and which rocker (17) comprises

a first head (19), which is adapted to co-operate with the upper end (10) of the latch pin (9) in order to move the latch pin when turning the rocker around the pivot shaft, and

a second head (29) to which a downwards exerted force (F) can be directed in order to turn the rocker around the pivot shaft (18) in order to lift the latch pin (9) from the stop location (I) to the release location (II) against the springback factor of the first spring (12).

2. A locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the release pin (13) is provided with an arm (21) in which a first waisting (22) has been formed; that the second guide (8) and the release pin (13) are tangent to the first guide (7) partly crossing it; that in the vicinity of the lower end (11) of the latch pin (9) there is a second waisting (23) which is fitted to receive inside itself the arm (21) of the release pin in order to hold the latch pin (9) in the release location (II); and that the first waisting (22) of the release pin (13) is fitted so that when the first waisting (22) of the release pin (13) is moved to be matching together with the latch pin (9), the latch pin is free to move between the stop location (I) and the release location (II).

3. A locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the arm (21) and the first waisting (22) of the release pin have a round cross section.

4. A locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the latch pin (9) is a piece made of one uniform material, in which latch pin the said second waisting (23) has been formed.

5. A locking device according to claim 4, characterized in that the latch pin (9) has a round cross section.

6. A locking device according to claim 5, characterized in that the latch pin (9) has a peripheral groove which forms the said second waisting (23).

7. A locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the latch pin (9) is provided with an upper part (39), and a lower part (40), which in transverse direction is narrower than the upper part (39), forming the said second waisting (23).

8. A locking device according to claim 7, characterized in that the upper part (39) and the lower part (40) are separate pieces which have been connected to each other by connecting members (41).

9. A locking device according to claim 8 characterized in that the upper part (39) has a round or quadrangular parallelepiped cross section, or the upper part (39) is provided with both round and planar shapes.

10. A locking device according to claim 7, characterized in that the lower part (40) has a round cross section.

11. A locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first spring (12) is fitted to impact between the frame (6) and the rocker (17) in order to force the latch pin (9) towards the stop location (I).

12. A locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that in the vicinity of the upper end (10) of the latch pin (9) there is a hole (24), socket or the like, which is fitted to receive inside itself the first head (19) of the rocker (17).

13. A locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the in the second end (20) of the rocker (17) is disposed a handle (25) or the like which extends horizontally transversely to a distance from the rocker and to which handle a downwards directed force (F) can be focused manually such as pressing by foot or other suitable tool.

14. A locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the frame is provided with a first chamber (26) inside of which the rocker (17) and the first spring (12) have been fitted, and a second chamber (27) inside of which the second spring (16) and the release pin (13) have been fitted and which forms the second guide (8) for the release pin (13).

15. A locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the frame (6) is a extrusion profile made of light alloy, such as aluminum.

16. A locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the frame (6) is a piece formed of one or several extruded plastic pieces connected together.

17. A locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the sides of the first chamber (26) are limited by two vertical walls (28, 29), which are at a distance from each other, and that the pivot shaft (18) supporting the rocker (17) is a pin which is supported by the walls (28, 29) by its ends.

18. A locking device according to claim 17, characterized in that the walls (28, 29) form at least a part of the first guide (8) for guiding the latch pin (9).

19. A locking device according to claim 17, characterized in that the first spring (12) is a coil spring fitted to be a bending stress spring which is supported by the walls (28, 29), using a pin (30).

20. A locking device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second spring (16) is a coil spring fitted to be a pressure spring, which is fitted into the second chamber (27) in relation to the frame (6) between a fixed support (31) and the release pin (13).