[0001] The present invention relates to a coupling device of an external handle to a lock.
[0002] For some time now the market has offered coupling devices of an external handle to
a lock.
[0003] The main task of these devices is to enable selective opening of the threshold from
the outside.
[0004] Various mechanical or electromechanical devices exist on the market which are able
to couple the external handle to the lock.
[0005] This systems, according to their type, exhibit various drawbacks among which possibility
of jamming, complexity connected to the high number of components, limited duration
due to the loads to which the components are subjected to, the lack of flexibility
which implicates the need to demount the lock to adapt its functioning to a lock with
a left or a right-directed opening, excessive energy use in a case in which electrical
energy has to be continuously supplied in order to maintain the coupling and/or decoupling
condition.
DE 10 2008 01 82 97 A1 discloses a coupling device of an external handle to a lock according to the preamble
of claim 1.
[0006] The technical objective which the present invention discloses is, therefore, to realise
a coupling device to the external handle which enables the technical drawbacks inherent
in the prior art to be obviated:
In the ambit of this technical objective, an aim of the invention is to realise a
coupling device of the external handle to a lock which eliminates or reduces to a
minimum the possibility of jamming, which exhibits a stable coupling condition and
a stable decoupling condition, which device is structurally and functionally simplified,
which is more durable, which has a flexibility of use that is such as to be applicable
without having to demount the lock whether coupled to door assemblies opening rightwards
or leftwards, and which minimises energy consumption.
[0007] The technical objective, as well as these and other aims, according to the present
invention, are attained by realising a coupling device of the external handle to a
lock according to claim 1. The rotatable element is activated by an electric motor.
[0008] The coupling element is preferably supported in the element of lock in which the
external handle follower is inserted and guided to slide, in a sliding seating which
is radial to the rotation axis of the external handle follower, between the decoupling
position, in which it is completely retracted in the sliding seating and the coupling
position in which it partially projects and engages in an engagement seating present
on the element of the lock in which the seating for the internal handle follower is
afforded, in order to render the external handle follower solid in rotation with the
internal handle follower.
[0009] In the invention the first permanent magnetic pole belongs to a first permanent magnet,
the second magnetic pole belongs to a second permanent magnet, and the third magnetic
pole belongs to a third permanent magnet.
[0010] In the invention, the first and the second permanent magnets preferably have a magnetic
axis which is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotatable element, while the
third permanent magnet has a magnetic axis that is parallel to the translation direction
of the coupling element. In the invention the rotatable element exhibits a rotation
axis that is coaxial to the output shaft of the electric motor by which it is directly
activated in rotation. In the invention, the first and the second permanent magnets
can be located with respect to one another at an angular distance of 180° with respect
to the rotation axis of the shaft of the electric motor In the invention, a fourth
permanent magnet is comprised, suitable for selectively facing the first and respectively
the second magnetic pole when the second and respectively first magnetic pole face
the third magnetic pole for the stabilising of the coupling position and for the reduction
of the torque required for the rotation of the rotatable element.
[0011] In this invention, all the permanent magnets have, when the handle and the lock are
at rest, the same magnetic axis and in particular the third and fourth permanent magnets
have opposite directions.
[0012] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will more clearly emerge
from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the coupling device
of the external handle to a lock according to the invention, illustrated by way of
non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:
figure 1 is a perspective view of the coupling device not forming part of the present invention;
figure 2 is a plan view of the coupling device of figure 1 in the decoupling position,
not forming part of the present invention;
figure 3 is a view of the coupling device of figure 2, sectioned along line A-A in
the decoupling position not forming part of the present invention;
figure 4 is a plan view of the coupling device of figure 1 in the coupling position,
with the external handle follower not rotated; this figure does not form part of the present invention;
figure 5 is a plan view of the coupling device of figure 1 in the coupling position,
with the external handle follower rotated; this figure does not form part of the present invention and
figure 6 is a further perspective and exploded view of the coupling device of figure
1 not forming part of the present invention;
figure 7 is a plan view of the coupling device in conformity with a preferred embodiment
of the invention in the decoupling position;
figure 8 is a view of the coupling device of figure 7, sectioned along line C-C in
the decoupling position;
figure 9 is a perspective view of the coupling device of figure 7, in a partially
exploded view in the decoupling position;
figure 10 is a perspective view of the coupling device of figure 7 in the decoupling
position.
[0013] With reference to figures 1-6, a coupling device 1 of the external handle (not shown)
to a lock (not shown) is illustrated, said coupling device not forming part of the
present invention. The coupling device 1, contained in a special housing 2 afforded
internally of a plate 3 to be applied to the lock assembly, comprises a rotatable
element 4 for translatingly displacement of a coupling element 5 of the external handle
of the lock.
[0014] The activating element 4 exhibits a first permanent magnetic pole 6 and a second
permanent magnet pole 7 having an opposite polarity destined to selectively face,
by effect of the rotation of the activating element 4, a third permanent magnetic
pole 8 present in the coupling element 5 such as to subject the coupling element 5
to a magnetic displacement force in an opposite direction between a coupling position
of the external handle to the lock and a decoupling position of the external handle
from the lock.
[0015] The first permanent magnetic pole 6 belongs to a first permanent magnet 306, the
second permanent magnetic pole 7 belongs to a second permanent magnet 307, and the
third magnetic pole 8 belongs to a third permanent magnet 308.
[0016] The rotatable element4 is activated by an electric motor 9.
[0017] The rotatable element 4 exhibits a rotation axis 10 distanced from and perpendicular
to the rotation axis 11 of the output shaft of the electric motor 9.
[0018] The rotatable element 4 comprises a wheel exhibiting a cogging 12 which enmeshes
with an endless screw 13 fixed to the end of the output shaft of the electric motor
9.
[0019] The first permanent magnet 306 and the second permanent magnet 307 are located at
a reciprocal angular distance of 90° with respect to the rotation axis 10 and are
facing the cylindrical surface of the wheel in an angularly offset position with respect
to the cogging 12 thereof.
[0020] The first and the second permanent magnets 306 and 307 have a magnetic axis which
is perpendicular to the axis 10, while the third permanent magnet 308 has a magnetic
axis which is parallel to the translation direction of the coupling element 5.
[0021] The coupling element 5 is supported in the element 17 of the device in which the
external handle follower 18 is inserted and is guided to slide, in a sliding seating
19 that is radial with respect to the rotation axis 20 of the external handle follower
18, between the decoupling position in which it is completely retracted into the sliding
seating 19 and the coupling position in which it partially projects, engaging in an
engagement seating 21 present on the element 22 of the device in which the seating
for the internal handle follower 23 is afforded, in order to constrain the external
handle follower 18 solidly to the internal handle follower 23 in rotation about the
rotation axis 20.
[0022] The rotation axis 10 of the rotatable element 4 is parallel to the rotation axis
20 that is common to the external handle follower 18 and to the internal handle follower
23.
[0023] The assembly comprising the electric motor 9, the endless screw 13 and the rotatable
element 4 is in a position underlying the assembly comprising the elements 17 and
respectively 22, in which the external handle follower 18 and respectively the internal
handle follower 23 are inserted.
[0024] The functioning of the device is, briefly, as follows.
[0025] In a hypothetical initial situation with the external handle enabled, among the magnetic
poles of the permanent magnets 306 and 307 the pole having the same sign as the magnetic
pole of the permanent magnet 308 facing towards the rotatable element 4 faces the
latter. The magnetic repulsive force between the two magnetic poles of the same sign
forces the coupling element 5 into the protracted position in the engaging seating
21 (figure 4), wherein the elements 17 and 22 are made solid in rotation.
[0026] In this situation, if the external handle is activated, the command is transmitted
to the lock by effect of the coupling between the elements 17 and 22.
[0027] If the external handle is to be disabled, the electric motor 9 has to be activated
which, by rotating the rotatable element 4 by 90°, brings the pole (of the magnetic
poles of the permanent magnets 306 and 307) having an opposite sign to the sign of
the magnetic pole of the permanent magnet 308 facing the rotatable element 4, to face
the latter. The magnetic attraction force between the two magnetic poles having opposite
signs moves the coupling element 5 into the retracted position in the sliding seating
19 (figure 2) in which the elements 17 and 22 are no longer solidly in rotation.
[0028] In this situation, if the external handle is activated, the command is not transmitted
to the lock, given that the elements 17 and 22 are coupled.
[0029] The coupling device of the external handle to the lock exhibits a plurality of advantages:
for its functioning only a limited amount of energy is required, and only for the
time necessary to switch the rotatable element between its two operating states, while
the device requires no electrical supply during the time the rotatable element remains
in one of its operating states; it guarantees an intrinsic stability of the rotatable
element in its two operating states; it is extremely compact and has a limited number
of components which increase its economy and overall reliability. It has a longer
working life because its components do not contain springs or other elastic elements
subject to flexion or torsion, and lastly it is adaptable without having to demount
the lock to both a left-opening and a right-opening lock assembly.
[0030] A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in figures from 7 to 10.
[0031] In this case the rotatable element 30 exhibits a rotation axis 31 that is coaxial
to the output shaft of the electric motor 39 by which it is directly activated in
rotation.
[0032] The first permanent magnet 34 and the second permanent magnet 35 constitute a single
rotatable magnetic dipole with the magnetic axis 32 rotating about the rotating axis
31 of the output shaft of the electric motor 39 in a perpendicular plane to the rotation
axis 31 of the output shaft of the electric motor 39. Further, according to the present
invention, to stabilise the coupling position of the coupling element 36 and to reduce
the torque required for rotation of the rotatable element 30, a fourth permanent magnet
33 is provided in a fixed position having a magnetic field with a coaxial direction
to the direction of the magnetic field of the third permanent magnet 38 and with an
opposite direction, destined to face the first permanent magnet 34 when the second
permanent magnet 35 faces the third permanent magnet 38, and to face the second permanent
magnet 35 when, by effect of a half-revolution rotation of the magnetic dipole constituted
by the first permanent magnet 34 and the second permanent magnet 35, the first permanent
magnet 34 faces the third permanent magnet 38.
[0033] The coupling device of the external handle to a lock as it is conceived herein is
susceptible to numerous modifications and variants, all falling within the scope of
the appended claims. The materials used, as well as the dimensions can in practice
be any, according to needs and the state of the art.
1. A coupling device (1) of an external handle to a lock, comprising a rotatable element
(30) for translatingly displacing a coupling element (36) of the external handle to
the lock, said rotatable element (30) having a first permanent magnetic pole and a
second permanent magnetic pole which are of opposite polarity and destined to selectively
face a third permanent magnetic pole present in said coupling element (36) in order
to subject said coupling element (36) to a magnetic displacement force in an opposite
direction between a coupling position and a decoupling position of said external handle
from said lock,
said rotatable element (30) being activated by an electric motor (39),
wherein said first magnetic pole belongs to a first permanent magnet (34), said second
permanent magnetic pole belongs to a second permanent magnet (35), and said third
permanent magnetic pole belongs to a third permanent magnet (38),
wherein said rotatable element (30) has a rotation axis which is coaxial to the rotation
axis (31) of the output shaft of said electric motor (39) by which it is directly
activated to rotate,
the coupling device (1) further comprising a fourth permanent magnet (33) having the
same magnetic axis as the magnetic axis of said third permanent magnet (38) and an
opposite direction thereto, destined to selectively face said first permanent magnet
(34) and respectively said second permanent magnet (35), when said second permanent
magnet (35) and respectively said first permanent magnet (34) face said third permanent
magnet (38) for stabilizing said coupling position, the coupling device being characterized in that said fourth permanent magnet (33) is provided in a fixed position relative to the
electric motor (39).
2. The coupling device (1) of the external handle to a lock according to the preceding
claim, characterised in that said coupling element (36) is supported in the element (17) in which the external
handle follower (18) is inserted and is guided to slide in a sliding seating (19)
which is radial with respect to the rotation axis (20) of the external handle follower
(18), between said decoupling position in which it is completely retracted in said
sliding seating (19) and said coupling position in which it partially projects and
engages in an engagement seating (21) present on the element of the device in which
the seating is afforded for the internal handle follower (23) in order to make the
external handle follower (18) solidly in rotation with the internal handle follower
(23).
3. The coupling device (1) of the external handle to a lock according to claim 1, characterised in that said first permanent magnet (34) and said second permanent magnet (35) have a magnetic
axis which is perpendicular to the rotation axis of said rotatable element (30), and
said third permanent magnet (38) has a magnetic axis which is parallel to the translation
direction of said coupling element (36).
4. The coupling device (1) of the external handle to a lock according to claim 1, characterised in that said first permanent magnet (34) and said second permanent magnet (35) generate a
single magnetic dipole.
5. A lock characterised in that it comprises a coupling device (1) of the external handle according to one or more
of the preceding claims.
1. Kopplungsvorrichtung (1) für einen externen Griff an einem Riegel, umfassend ein drehbares
Element (30) zum Verschieben translatorisch eines Kopplungselements (36) des externen
Griffs an dem Riegel, wobei das drehbare Element (30) einen ersten Permanentmagnetpol
und einen zweiten Permanentmagnetpol aufweist, die von entgegengesetzter Polarität
sind und dazu bestimmt sind, einem dritten Permanentmagnetpol, der in dem Kopplungselement
(36) vorhanden ist, selektiv gegenüberzustehen, um das Kopplungselement (36) einer
magnetischen Verschiebekraft in einer entgegengesetzten Richtung zwischen einer Kopplungsposition
und einer Entkopplungsposition des externen Griffs von dem Riegel zu unterziehen,
wobei das drehbare Element (30) durch einen Elektromotor (39) aktiviert wird, wobei
der erste Magnetpol zu einem ersten Permanentmagneten (34) gehört, der zweite Permanentmagnetpol
zu einem zweiten Permanentmagneten (35) gehört, und der dritte Permanentmagnetpol
zu einem dritten Permanentmagneten (38) gehört, wobei das drehbare Element (30) eine
Drehachse aufweist, die koaxial zur Drehachse (31) der Ausgangswelle des Elektromotors
(39) ist, durch die es direkt zum Drehen aktiviert wird, wobei die Kopplungsvorrichtung
(1) ferner einen vierten Permanentmagneten (33) mit derselben Magnetachse wie die
Magnetachse des dritten Permanentmagneten (38) und einer entgegengesetzten Richtung
dazu aufweist, die dazu bestimmt ist, dem ersten Permanentmagneten (34) bzw. dem zweiten
Permanentmagneten (35) selektiv gegenüberzustehen, wenn der zweite Permanentmagnet
(35) bzw. der erste Permanentmagnet (34) dem dritten Permanentmagneten (38) gegenüberstehen,
um die Kopplungsposition zu stabilisieren, wobei die Kopplungsvorrichtung dadurch gekennzeichnet ist, dass der vierte Permanentmagnet (33) in einer festen Position relativ zum Elektromotor
(39) vorgesehen ist.
2. Kopplungsvorrichtung (1) für einen externen Griff an einem Riegel nach dem vorhergehenden
Anspruch, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Kopplungselement (36) in dem Element (17) abgestützt wird, in dem der externe
Schleppgriff (18) eingesetzt ist, und geführt wird, um in einen Gleitsitz (19), der
radial in Bezug auf die Drehachse (20) des externen Schleppgriffs (18) ist, zwischen
der Entkopplungsposition, in der er in dem Gleitsitz (19) vollständig zurückgezogen
ist, und der Kopplungsposition zu gleiten, in der er teilweise vorsteht und in einen
Eingriffssitz (21) eingreift, der an dem Element der Vorrichtung vorhanden ist, in
dem der Sitz für den inneren Schleppgriff (23) vorgesehen ist, um den externen Schleppgriff
(18) mit dem inneren Schleppgriff (23) fest in Drehung zu versetzen.
3. Kopplungsvorrichtung (1) für einen externen Griff an einem Riegel nach Anspruch 1,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der erste Permanentmagnet (34) und der zweite Permanentmagnet (35) eine zur Drehachse
des drehbaren Elements (30) senkrechte Magnetachse aufweisen und der dritte Permanentmagnet
(38) eine zur Verschiebungsrichtung des Kopplungselements (36) parallele Magnetachse
aufweist.
4. Kopplungsvorrichtung (1) für einen externen Griff an einem Riegel nach Anspruch 1,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der erste Permanentmagnet (34) und der zweite Permanentmagnet (35) einen einzigen
magnetischen Dipol erzeugen.
5. Riegel, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass er eine Kopplungsvorrichtung (1) für einen externen Griff nach einem oder mehreren
der vorhergehenden Ansprüche umfasst.
1. Dispositif de couplage (1) d'une poignée externe à un verrou, comprenant un élément
rotatif (30) pour déplacer en translation un élément de couplage (36) de la poignée
externe au verrou, ledit élément rotatif (30) comportant un premier pôle magnétique
permanent et un second pôle magnétique permanent étant de polarité opposée et destinés
à faire face de façon sélective à un troisième pôle magnétique permanent présent dans
ledit élément de couplage (36) afin de soumettre ledit élément de couplage (36) à
une force de déplacement magnétique dans une direction opposée entre une position
de couplage et une position de découplage de ladite poignée externe à partir dudit
verrou, ledit élément rotatif (30) étant activé par un moteur électrique (39), dans
lequel ledit premier pôle magnétique appartient à un premier aimant permanent (34),
ledit second pôle magnétique permanent appartient à un second aimant permanent (35)
et ledit troisième pôle magnétique permanent appartient à un troisième aimant permanent
(38), dans lequel ledit élément rotatif (30) comporte un axe de rotation étant coaxial
à l'axe de rotation (31) de l'arbre de sortie dudit moteur électrique (39) par lequel
il est directement activé pour tourner, le dispositif de couplage (1) comprenant de
plus un quatrième aimant permanent (33) comportant le même axe magnétique que l'axe
magnétique dudit troisième aimant permanent (38) et une direction opposée à celui-ci,
destiné à faire face de façon sélective au dit premier aimant permanent (34) et, respectivement,
au dit second aimant permanent (35), lorsque ledit second aimant permanent (35) et,
respectivement, ledit premier aimant permanent (34) font face au dit troisième aimant
permanent (38) pour stabiliser ladite position de couplage, le dispositif de couplage
étant caractérisé en ce que ledit quatrième aimant permanent (33) est prévu dans une position fixe par rapport
au moteur électrique (39).
2. Dispositif de couplage (1) de la poignée externe à un verrou selon la revendication
précédente, caractérisé en ce que ledit élément de couplage (36) est supporté dans l'élément (17) dans lequel le prolongateur
(18) de la poignée externe est introduit et est guidé pour coulisser dans un siège
de coulissement (19) étant radial par rapport à l'axe de rotation (20) du prolongateur
(18) de la poignée externe, entre ladite position de découplage dans laquelle il est
complètement rétracté dans ledit siège de coulissement (19) et ladite position de
couplage dans laquelle il dépasse partiellement et se met en prise avec un siège d'engagement
(21) présent sur l'élément du dispositif dans lequel le siège est réalisé pour le
prolongateur (23) de la poignée interne afin de mettre le prolongateur (18) de la
poignée externe en rotation de façon solidaire avec le prolongateur (23) de la poignée
interne.
3. Dispositif de couplage (1) de la poignée externe à un verrou selon la revendication
1, caractérisé en ce que ledit premier aimant permanent (34) et ledit second aimant permanent (35) comportent
un axe magnétique étant perpendiculaire à l'axe de rotation dudit élément rotatif
(30), et ledit troisième aimant permanent (38) comporte un axe magnétique étant parallèle
à la direction de translation dudit élément de couplage (36).
4. Dispositif de couplage (1) de la poignée externe à un verrou selon la revendication
1, caractérisé en ce que ledit premier aimant permanent (34) et ledit second aimant permanent (35) génèrent
un dipôle magnétique unique.
5. Verrou caractérisé en ce qu'il comprend un dispositif de couplage (1) de la poignée externe selon l'une ou plusieurs
des revendications précédentes.