Apparatus for locking a closure

Abstract

 The invention relates to an assembly (1) for use as an aluminium door nose (2) for mounting on live (3) and slave door parts of a French door (5). The locking means two spaced shoot bolts (9) and an intermediate latch (10) all operated on rotation of the handle means which, by suitable mechanism including a bodily reciprocable shiftable elongate member (13), is operable to both latch and lock the live (3) and slave (4) door parts together. To that end, the elongate member (13) has spaced blind holes (14) in the form of through apertures, which are in the lockable position aligned with their respective associated shoot bolts (9).
The member (13) defines the through apertures (14). When the handle is turned to latch the slave door via the latch (10), this action "throws" the elongate member.
If the latching action is properly achieved, the apertures (14) are aligned with the associated shoot bolts (9), and the bolts (9) are then actuated to be shot and to engage behind keepers in the French door, so locking the door parts (3,4) together. If latching is not properly achieved, then the member (13) is not thrown far enough to clear the bolts (9), which then are prevented from being thrown by abutment means forming part of the rear surface of the member (13) adjacent the respective apertures. The door parts (3,4) thus remain clearly unlocked until the latch is properly engaged, which allows the bolts (9) to be shot and the French doors locked securely.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to apparatus for locking a closure in a closed position by spaced bolts which are operative between a nose or edge of one door part and an adjacent nose or edge member of the other door part. The bolts are usually operated by actuating means such as a handle, for actuating the bolts.

[0002] There is also, generally, a latch means which is actuatable to lock and unlock the door parts. The latch means is operated by the actuating handle, which also operates the bolts too, particularly a so-called "French Window" of the kind which is often installed in a building to open onto a balcony, patio or the like. Such a "French Window" usually has two closures or door parts, a "live" door part and a "slave" door part. These parts are usually lockable.

[0003] Security is becoming an increasingly important aspect of every-day life, particularly for a home or dwelling, burglary being generally an ever-present occurrence.

[0004] French doors can be vulnerable to burglary, as if the live door part and the slave door part are not correctly locked, unauthorised entry is made relatively easy. Existing French doors are susceptible of insecure locking closure.

[0005] It is an object of the invention to seek to mitigate this disadvantage.

[0006] According to the invention there is provided apparatus for locking a closure such as a French door, having two door parts, one door part in operation being a live door part and the other a slave door part, comprising releasable locking means for locking the live and slave door parts together in a locked condition of the door, and means to obviate locking of the doors when one door part is not locked.

[0007] The one door part may suitably be the slave door part.

[0008] Suitably, there may be bolts and latch means operable by a handle, a bodily shiftable elongate member to which the bolts are operatively connected having through holes alignable with the bolts for passage thereof therethrough, part of the member defining the holes providing an abutment adapted to obviate operation of the bolts when the latch means is not properly latched.

[0009] The apertures may be blind elongate apertures.

[0010] The handle may protrude from a handle plate, which may be adapted for mounting on a closure.

[0011] The handle plate may be backset by a desired amount from an edge of a door part on which the apparatus is mounted, the desired amount suitably being 35mm or 45mm or 55mm.

[0012] It will be understood that as is usual in this kind of apparatus movement of the elongate member is translated into transverse movement of the bolts by means of a cam and follower arrangement. The follower is often in the form of a roller, which may engage with a slot associated with the bolt. The slot is at an angle to the directions of movement of the bolt and the elongate member, to provide cam action for throwing the bolt.

[0013] It will be understood that the invention relates to a closure mounting apparatus as hereinbefore defined.

[0014] Apparatus embodying the invention is hereinafter described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a cross-section through an assembly for mounting on the nose of a door such as an aluminium door nose comprising two identical bodies, and for use with apparatus according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows the assembly of Fig. 1 mounted on a pair of doors;

Fig. 3 shows schematically a perspective view of the apparatus according to the invention;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view similar to Fig. 1 of a further embodiment;

Fig. 5 shows the embodiment of Fig. 4 in situ facing stiles of a pair of French Windows; and

Fig.6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 utilising a different mounting in situ in facing stiles of a pair of French Windows.

[0015] Referring to the drawings, an apparatus or assembly 1 for use as an aluminium door nose comprises two identical extrusions 2, of aluminium, though any desired material could be used, for mounting on the noses or stiles of door parts, the live 3 and slave 4 door parts, of a "French" door 5.

[0016] The extrusions 2 each define an interior part for receiving operative parts of apparatus 6 embodying the invention, and a seating for a seal 7 such as a polypropylene pile or brush seal 8.

[0017] The apparatus 6 for locking a closure such as a French door is in the embodiment in the form of a releasable locking means 9, 10 which is operable by a rotatable handle means (not shown) which operates on a rotatable spindle 11. The handle means is mounted on a handle plate (also not shown) which is backset from the edge or nose 12 of the door by 35mm, or 45mm, or 55mm as desired, for security. There may be a lock too, again not shown, but in the apparatus 6 the locking means comprises two spaced shoot bolts 9 and an intermediate latch 10 all operated on rotation of the handle means which, by suitable mechanism including a bodily reciprocable shiftable elongate member 13, is operable to both latch and lock the live 3 and slave 4 door parts together. To that end, the elongate member 13 has spaced blind holes 14 in the form of through apertures, which are in the lockable position aligned with their respective associated shoot bolts 9.

[0018] The member 13 defines the through apertures 14. When the handle is turned to latch the slave door via the latch 10, this action "throws" the elongate member.

[0019] If the latching action is properly achieved, the apertures 14 are aligned with the associated shoot bolts 9, and the bolts 9 are then actuated to be shot and to engage behind keepers in the French door, so locking the door parts 3, 4 together. If latching is not properly achieved, then the member 13 is not thrown far enough to clear the bolts 9, which then are prevented from being thrown by abutment means forming part of the rear surface of the member 13 adjacent the respective apertures. The door parts 3, 4 thus remain clearly unlocked until the latch is properly engaged, which allows the bolts 9 to be shot and the French doors locked securely. There is thus a sequential locking system which prevents master lock operation 9, 13 before the slave lock operation 10 is completed. The master lock operation thus also deadlocks the slave lock. A key locking master door cylinder lock deadlocks the whole system.

[0020] It will be understood that there may be two elongate members 13, longitudinally aligned and operable by the handle to be reciprocable in opposite directions for latching and locking.

[0021] As is apparent from the drawings, particularly Fig. 4, the extrusions 2 on the nose or stile of both the live 3 and slave door 4 are identical extrusions, which thus simplifies manufacture and cuts down expense thereof, and of fitting. The extrusions 2, suitably of aluminium, have flanges 2' for being received in suitable routings, or grooves 15, in the respective stiles of the French doors, the seals 8 being operable to provide a draught and foreign body excluder, and there being flexible seals 16 such as Neoprene or rubber seals of generally 'G' shape which by a part or limb 17 are received with the flanges 2' in an inboard groove 15 on the stile and a curved or U-part 18 of which acts resiliently to engage a fascia or cover part 19.

[0022] Fig. 6 is similar to Fig. 5, except that instead of both routings 15 being inboard of the stile, in Fig. 6 the routings include one 19 at an edge or face thereof, which results in the use of only one seal 16.

[0023] It will be understood that in the apparatus shown in the drawings, secure locking can be achieved for structures such as French doors.

Claims

1. Apparatus for locking a closure such as a French door, having two door parts, one door part in operation being a live door part and the other a slave door part, comprising releasable locking means for locking the live and slave door parts together in a locked condition of the door, and means to obviate locking of the doors when one door part is not locked.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, the one door part comprising the slave door part.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, comprising bolts and latch means operable by a handle, a bodily shiftable elongate member to which the bolts are operatively connected having through holes alignable with the bolts for passage thereof therethrough, part of the member defining the holes providing an abutment adapted to obviate operation of the bolts when the latch means is not properly latched.

4. Apparatus according to Claim 3, the apertures being blind elongate apertures.

5. Apparatus according to Claim 3 or Claim 4, the handle protruding from a handle plate, adapted for mounting on a closure.

6. Apparatus according to Claim 5, the handle plate being backset by a desired amount from an edge of a door part on which the apparatus is mounted.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 6. the desired amount being 35mm or 45mm or 55mm.

8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, comprising a profile adapted for mounting on a stile of a door part.

9. Apparatus according to Claim 8, the profiles being identical for both door parts.

10. Apparatus according to Claim 9, the profiles comprising extrusions.

11. Apparatus according to Claim 10, comprising aluminium extrusions.

12. Apparatus according to any one of Claims 8 to 11, the respective extrusions comprising a projecting flange adapted for mounting in a routing in a stile of an associated door part.

13. Apparatus according to Claim 12, the routing being inboard of a stile of the door part.

14. Apparatus according to Claim 12, the routing being at a face of a stile of a door part.

15. Apparatus according to any of Claims 12 to 14, including a seal device in a routing with the flange.

16. A closure, mounting apparatus as claimed in any preceding claims.

Drawing