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(11) | EP 1 106 759 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Anti panic bar |
| (57) A panic bar comprising: an elongated box-like body (2), which is constituted by a
profile having a substantially U-shaped cross-section; two levers (114, 14), which
are articulated in the box-like body in contrast with elastic return means (120, 20)
and are connected like an articulated parallelogram, one (120) of the levers being
operatively connected to a closure lock (35); a bar (37), which is accommodated in
the box-like body (2) and is rigidly coupled to the pair of levers (120, 20) so as
to be movable, parallel to itself, between a position in which it protrudes from the
box-like body and a position in which it is substantially internal to the box-like
body; the panic bar comprising, at the opposite end with respect to the lock (35),
a first element (45) for closing the bar (37) and a second closure element (30) for
the box-like body (2), the second element (30) having such a height as to not protrude
beyond the bar when the bar is inside the box-like body. |
[0002] Panic bars are known comprising an elongated box-like body which is fixed to the side of the door wing that is directed toward the enclosed space and has an open U-shaped cross-section in order to accommodate the actuation bar or handle.
[0003] Two parallel transmission levers are rigidly coupled to the bar and are articulated in a parallelogram-like configuration in the box-like body; one of said levers is operatively connected to the lock for closing the wing.
[0004] Current panic bars have, at the opposite ends of the box-like body, respective caps for covering and protecting the opposite ends of the actuation bar. However, it has been observed that said caps have a structure which can compromise the safety of panic bars when they are actuated in an emergency situation. In such a situation, in fact, the bar, as a consequence of the pressure applied thereto, enters the box-like body, while the caps continue to protrude from its opposite ends.
[0005] In an emergency situation, said ends can be dangerous elements on which clothing worn by people, or accessories such as handbags, umbrellas, etcetera, can catch.
[0006] The aim of the present invention is to provide a panic bar which is conceived so that even in the pressed position of the actuation bar there are no protrusions capable of creating hindrances to the passage of people.
[0007] Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a panic bar which is structurally simple and safe and effective in operation.
[0008] This aim and these and other objects are achieved with a panic bar comprising: an elongated box-like body, which is constituted by a profile having a substantially U-shaped cross-section; two levers, which are articulated in said box-like body in contrast with elastic return means and are connected like an articulated parallelogram, one of said levers being operatively connected to a closure lock; a bar, which is accommodated in said box-like body and is rigidly coupled to said pair of levers so as to be movable, parallel to itself, between a position in which it protrudes from said box-like body and a position in which it is substantially internal to said box-like body; characterized in that it comprises, at the opposite end with respect to the lock, a first bar closure element and a second box-like body closure element, said second element having such a height as to not protrude beyond the bar when said bar is inside said box-like body.
[0009] Further features of the present invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a front view of a panic bar in an open condition;
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the panic bar in an open condition, taken along the longitudinal line II-II of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the panic bar in a closed condition;
Figure 4 is a sectional view, taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a sectional view, taken along the line V-V of Figure 3;
Figure 6 is a sectional view of a lever; and
Figure 7 is a plan view of the lever of Figure 6.
[0010] With reference to the above-mentioned Figures, the panic bar according to the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 1 and comprises an elongated box-like body 2 being constituted by a profile which has a U-shaped cross-section with a bottom 3 (Figures 4 and 5) and two walls 4 and 5 which rise at right angles from the bottom 3, so as to form a longitudinal cavity 6.
[0011] In the walls 4 and 5, proximate to the internal angles formed with the bottom 3, two longitudinal grooves 7 and 8 are provided in which two plates 9 and 10 are inserted; said plates can be positioned along said grooves.
[0012] The plate 9 has two wings 11 and 12 which protrude therefrom at the lateral edges and support a pivot 13 for the articulation of a lever 14 which is composed of two triangular portions 15 and 16 connected one another by a bridge 17.
[0013] The triangular portions 15 and 16 are crossed by two pivots 18 and 19 which, with respect to the articulation pivot 13, define the two arms of the lever 14. A spring 20 is superimposed on the pivot 13, and its opposite ends engage below the bridge 17 and below a lug 21 which is obtained by folding the wing 11. In this manner, the spring 20 can act so as to raise the lever 14 with respect to the plate 9.
[0014] A block 22 is articulated on the pivot 19 and has a tang 23 which is surmounted by a tab 24. A grub screw 25 is screwed through the tab 24 for fixing a tubular element 26 which has a quadrangular cross-section on the tang 23. The plate 9 protrudes out of the box-like body 2 with a portion 27 in which a lug 28 is formed which is perpendicular to the plate 9. A semicircular cap 30 is fixed to the lug 28 by way of a screw 29 and, as will become apparent from Figures 3 and 4, is coupled to the walls 4 and 5 of the box-like body 2. The cap 30 has a lip 31 which is folded inward and closes axially the cavity 6.
[0015] The plate 9, once inserted in the grooves 7 and 8 until the cap 30 abuts against the walls 4 and 5 of the box-like body 2, is fixed by means of a pair of grub screws 32 and 33 which are screwed through the plate 9 and engage against the bottom 3.
[0016] The plate 10 also is locked on the bottom 3 of the box-like body 2, and a slider 34 is slidingly coupled thereon and is designed to activate a lock, generally designated by the reference numeral 35, which is fixed on the plate 10.
[0017] The slider 34 is controlled by means which are fully identical to the means previously designated by the reference numerals 11 to 25 and supported on the plate 10.
[0018] Said means, for the sake of convenience in description, are designated by the same reference numerals increased by 100.
[0019] The only evident difference relates to the block 122, which is inverted by 180° with respect to the block 22 so as to allow the tang 123 to enter, at one end, the end of the tube 26 that is opposite to the end engaged by the tang 23 and to act, at the other end, on a protrusion 36 which is rigidly coupled to the slider 34.
[0020] The actuation of the levers 14 and 114 is provided by means of a bar 37 which is inserted in the cavity 6.
[0021] The bar 37 is composed of a profile which has a U-shaped cross-section with two walls 38 and 39 which are connected by a cambered bottom 40 which constitutes the surface for pushing. The walls 38 and 39 are internally provided with parallel ridges which form thereon a first pair 41 and a second pair 42 of opposite grooves, which have a rectangular cross-section, and a third pair of grooves 43, which are intermediate to the pairs of grooves 41 and 42 and have a lobe-shaped cross-section in order to receive two self-tapping screws.
[0022] The pairs of grooves 41 and 42 are designed to receive the opposite ends of the pivots 18 and 118. In the illustrated example, the pivots 18 and 118 are engaged in the pairs of grooves 42 so as to ensure an ample rotation of the levers 14 and 114. If instead the rotation angle of the levers 14 and 114 must be smaller, the pivots 18, 118 are inserted in holes 44, 144 provided at the ends of the levers 14, 114, so as to engage in the pairs of grooves 41.
[0023] The opposite ends of the actuation bar 37 are closed by respective closure elements 45 and 46.
[0024] The element 45 is hollow, has such a shape as to be accommodated in the cap 30, and comprises a semicylindrical lower wall 47 which is shaped complementarily to the internal wall of the cap and a spherical wall 48 which forms a step 49 with it.
[0025] One end of the bar 37 is inserted in a seat 50 of the element 45 which is formed proximate to the front edge of the element 45.
[0026] The closure element 45 is fixed to the bar by way of two self-tapping screws 51 which are driven through respective axial holes of the element 45 and are screwed into the pair of grooves 43.
[0027] The element 46 is constituted by a plug provided with internal ridges 52 for forced-fit engagement in the grooves 41 and 42. Conveniently, the end of the bar in which the element 46 is to be engaged has a chamfered shape in order to blend with the box 53 that encloses the mechanism 54 of the lock 35.
[0028] The mechanism 54 is of a known type and comprises a lever 55 which is pivoted in a rocker-like fashion on a pivot 56 of the lock. The lever 55 has a first pivot 57 which, by means of a spring 58, is kept in abutment against a protrusion 59 of the slider 34 and a second pivot 60 which acts on a latch 61 which is articulated on an additional pivot 62 of the lock in contrast with a spring 63. The latch 61 is provided with a locking lever 64 which prevents fraudulent retraction of the latch when it is engaged in the selvage 65.
[0029] As clearly shown by Figure 3, which illustrates in sectional view the panic bar in the closed condition, the bar 37, by means of the springs 20 and 121 that act on the levers 14 and 114, is kept in an external position with respect to the box-like body 2 and therefore in a position which closes the cavity 6.
[0031] In an emergency situation, if one acts on the bar 37, the levers 14, 114 rotate simultaneously due to the tube 26 that connects them, causing a movement of the block 122 toward the lock. The block 122 acts on the protrusion 36 of the slider 34, while the protrusion 59, by acting on the lever 55, determines the retraction of the latch 61 into the box 31.
[0032] In the position for releasing the latch 61, the bar 37 is fully accommodated within the box-like body 2.
[0033] A fundamental prerogative of the present invention is that when the bar 37 is inside the box-like body 2, i.e., when it has been actuated in an emergency condition, the panic bar 1 does not have, at its opposite ends, protrusions or the like which can constitute regions on which the clothes of the people who are about to exit can catch. Differently from conventional panic bars, the cap 30 in fact does not lie above the level of the upper edge of the box-like body 2. At the same time, the element 46 axially closes the bar 37 and its rounded shape does not offer dangerous protrusions.
[0034] One advantage of the above-described panic bar is that the plates 9 and 10 that support the levers 14 and 114 are arranged at the opposite ends of the box-like body 2, so that the portions 27 and 127 protrude out of the box-like body 2. The panic bar can be assembled by means of screws which are driven through slots 66 of the portion 27 and similar slots of the portion 127. The distance between the portions 27 and 127 allows to engage the screws in the lateral edges of the wing, avoiding the application of screws through the bottom 3 of the box-like body. In this way, the box-like body 2 can lie transversely like a bridge on the central region of the wing and can allow to apply the panic bar to door wings constituted by glass panes.
[0035] In the practical embodiment of the invention, the shapes and the dimensions may vary according to requirements.
[0036] The disclosures in Italian Utility Model Application No. BO99U000140 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
[0037] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.
1. A panic bar comprising: an elongated box-like body (2), which is constituted by a
profile having a substantially U-shaped cross-section; two levers (114, 14), which
are articulated in said box-like body in contrast with elastic return means (120,
20) and are connected like an articulated parallelogram, one (120) of said levers
being operatively connected to a closure lock (35); a bar (37), which is accommodated
in said box-like body (2) and is rigidly coupled to said pair of levers (120, 20)
so as to be movable, parallel to itself, between a position in which it protrudes
from said box-like body and a position in which it is substantially internal to said
box-like body; characterized in that it comprises, at the opposite end with respect
to the lock (35), a first element (45) for closing the bar (37) and a second closure
element (30) for the box-like body (2), said second element (30) having such a height
as to not protrude beyond the bar when said bar is inside said box-like body.
2. The panic bar according to claim 1, characterized in that said second closure element
(30) comprises a cap which has a substantially semicircular shape, with the ends coupled
frontally to the walls (4, 5) of the profile that constitutes said box-like body (2),
said cap (30) having a height which substantially does not exceed the height of said
walls.
3. The panic bar according to claim 2, characterized in that said first element (45)
is shaped complementarily to said cap (30) and comprises a cylindrical portion (47)
which is designed to remain inside said box-like body (2) and a spherical portion
(48), said cylindrical and spherical portions forming a seat for the front insertion
of said bar (37).
4. The panic bar according to claim 3, characterized in that said cap (30) is fixed to
a lug (28) of a plate (9) for supporting one (14) of said levers.
5. The panic bar according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that said first element
(45) has through holes for fixing screws (51) which engage in grooves (43) of said
bar (37).
6. The panic bar according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises
a second element (46) for closing the end of said bar (37) that lies opposite said
first closure element (45), said end of the bar (37) having a rounded region and said
second element (46) being constituted by a sort of plug provided with ridges which
enter slots (41, 42) of said bar (37).