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(11) | EP 1 701 119 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Coldroom door fastener |
| (57) A fastener (1) for a coldroom door (4), said door presenting a body with two opposing
surfaces (3, 7), an inner first surface (3) facing the coldroom interior, the door
(4) moving relative to a coldroom door jamb or upright on which a fixed counter-member
(47) for a movable latch (18) of the fastener (1) is present, said latch (18) being
carried by a fastener body associated with the inner surface (3) of the door (4),
said body (2) presenting an outer cover (82) under which a mechanism (15) is present
for moving the latch (18) following action on an operating member (17, 79) external
to said cover (82) or positioned on the door second surface (7) located external to
the coldroom. The latch (18) is associated with a support (20) removably associated
with the body (2) of the fastener (1) and able to be fixed in different positions
relative to an end portion (33) of said body (2) in order to assume a different distance
from the inner surface (3) of the door (4) and enable the position of the latch to
be adjusted relative to the counter-member (47) fixed to the door jamb (5).
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[0001] The present invention relates to a coldroom door fastener in accordance with the introduction to the main claim.
[0002] Coldroom doors of the state of the art are known to be provided with a fastener comprising a movable latch cooperating with a counter-member adjustably fixed to the door jamb. This counter-member usually comprises a substantially hook-shaped element projecting from said door jamb within the aperture giving access to the coldroom, said hook-shaped element cooperating with the latch, which has a corresponding shape. To achieve suitable door closure in the sense of enabling a usual seal member associated with it to be correctly pressed against the wall comprising the door aperture, the position of the fixed counter-member can be suitably adjusted on the aforesaid door jamb or upright. In this manner, the hook-shaped element of said counter-member can be positioned in a suitable position such that its cooperation with the latch results in correct "traction" towards said wall or correct door positioning thereagainst, so that the seal element or gasket present on the door suitably cooperates with said wall.
[0003] This known solution presents various drawbacks related to the shape of the counter-member and the manner in which its position is adjusted on the door jamb or upright. In this respect, because of its hook shape, the counter-member projects into the door aperture, hence limiting its useful dimensions. Consequently, its position on the upright can interfere with the movement of usual trucks or the like used to transport the products to be placed in the coldroom. This projecting position hence results in possible difficulty in passing through the door.
[0004] Moreover, said hook shape can be dangerous to persons passing through the door aperture, who could brush against the counter-member and be injured or at least suffer surface contusions. This shape could also result in such persons catching their clothes on passing through the door aperture, leading to tearing of said clothes.
[0005] With regard to the adjustment, this is achieved by complex manoeuvres which do not always enable the optimum position of the counter-member to be attained, because of the difficulty in identifying with certainty its correct position during this adjustment: to identify this position, the counter-member should already be in cooperation with the latch, which makes the fixing operation difficult.
[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a fastener for coldroom doors which represents an improvement over corresponding known fasteners.
[0007] A particular object of the present invention is to provide a coldroom fastener which allows rapid adjustment of the door position relative to the wall comprising the door aperture, said adjustment resulting in optimum sealing action of the gasket associated with the door.
[0008] Another object of the invention is to provide a fastener of the stated type which enables a fixed counter-member to be used having minimum or zero projection from the door jamb or upright present at said door aperture.
[0009] A further object of the invention is to provide a fastener of the stated type which is simple to construct and use.
[0010] These and further objects which will be apparent to the expert of the art are attained by a fastener in accordance with the accompanying claims.
[0011] The present invention will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings, which are provided by way of non-limiting example and in which:
Figure 1 is a lateral-front exploded perspective view of a fastener and two different forms of the relative counter-member;
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the fastener of Figure 1 shown from a different angle;
Figure 3 is a view of the fastener of Figure 1 taken from above;
Figure 4 is a cross-section through the fastener of Figure 1 associated with a coldroom door and cooperating with an operating element external to said coldroom;
Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;
Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 are sections through the fastener of the invention taken on the lines 6-6, 7-7, 8-8 and 9-9 respectively, of Figure 3; and
[0013] With reference to said figures, a fastener according to the invention is indicated overall by 1 and comprises a body 2 to be associated with an inner surface 3 of a door 4 of a coldroom, of which a door jamb or lateral upright 5 is shown bounding an aperture 6 providing access to said door (door aperture). The door 4 also presents a surface 7 external to the coldroom on which an operating element 10 for the fastener 1 is located to enable said door to be opened from the outside of the coldroom. The element 10 and the fastener 1 are connected together by a control rod 12 passing through a hole 13 provided in the body 4A of the door 4, this rod cooperating with a mechanism 15 of the device 1 enabling the door to be opened by operating a handgrip 17 of the element 10. This latter and the device 1 are fixed together by screws 14, in known manner not further described.
[0014] The mechanism 15 moves a latch 18 of the type hinged at a first end 19 to a support 20 removably associated with the body 2 of the device 1. The latch 18 presents a through hole 21 in which a pin 22 is located supported by parallel arms 23 of the support 20. These arms are secured together by a transverse portion 25 of this support.
[0015] In each arm 23 a recess 27 is present terminating in a flat wall 28 comprising a hole or slot 29 to receive a corresponding screw 30 for its fixing, in a manner adjustable by a respective nut 31 of the support 20, to an end portion 33 of the body 2 of the fastener 1. This end portion 33 also presents parallel arms 34 to cooperate with the arms 23 of the support 20, said arms presenting an end surface 35 on which the wall 28 of the corresponding arm 23 rests. A hole 37 opens into each surface 35 to receive said screw 30. Preferably, each wall 28 is knurled to cooperate with a corresponding knurling 40 provided on the respective surface 35 to enable the support 20 to be controlledly moved relative to the end portion 33. By disposing each screw 30 though the corresponding slot 29 and through the corresponding hole 37, the support 20 can be set in different positions on the surfaces 35 of the arms 34 of the end portion 33 (arrow H of Figure 2) such that the desired distance of the pin 22 from the surface 3 of the door 4 is obtained; the screws 30 are then tightened (by the nuts 31) to lock the support 20 (with the latch 18) and the end portion 33 together in the position achieved. This adjustment is made to achieve optimum closure of the door 4 onto the aperture 6.
[0016] To achieve this closure, the latch 18 can cooperate with a counter-member 47 which in Figures 1 and 2 is shown as two embodiments indicated by 47A and 47B respectively. The first embodiment 47A is defined by a body 48 presenting a recessed part 49, said body having a very small thickness (for example less than 5 mm). The recessed part 49 can be disposed encased in a seat (not shown) provided in the upright 5 and cooperates with the latch 18 to prevent the door from opening away from said upright, such opening taking place in the direction of the arrow F of Figure 4. This solution does not result in any projection within the aperture 6, leaving it completely free.
[0017] The second embodiment 47B of the counter-member is defined by a body 50 still of small thickness (maximum 8 mm), to be fixed on a free surface 5A of the upright 5 (see Figures 4 and 6). This body projects from this latter, but only to a very small extent into the door aperture 6 onto which the door 4 closes.
[0018] In neither solution does the counter-member 47 substantially interfere with any truck passing through the aperture 6 or with any user passing through it.
[0019] The latch 18 presents opposite the end 19 a second end 60 of arcuate shape, to facilitate engagement with the latch counter-member 47. The first end 19 of the latch is tapered. The latch supports a pin 61 in an inner recess 18A on which a first end 62A of a connection rod 62 is hinged, the other (second) end 62B of which presents a slot or elongate hole 63 within which a transverse pin 64 is relatively movable, carried by opposing arms 65 of a rocker 66 inserted in the body 2. This rocker cooperates with a shaft or pin 67 associated with seats 68 provided in opposing shoulders 70 of the body 2 of the device 1.
[0020] The rocker 66 presents a portion 72 with an internal hole 73 for receiving a pin 74 rising within a portion 75 of the body 2 and rigid with a base 76 of said portion 75. A pushbutton 79 movable along said pin 74 is disposed on said pin, preferably via splines, and is provided with its own protection or hood 80, said pushbutton and hood projecting from a suitable seat 81 of a cover 82 for the body 2, which protects the aforesaid mechanism defined mainly by the connecting rod 62, the rocker 66 and those elements which connect them together and enable them to move. The cover 82 has a recess 83 for a movable covering 84 on the latch 18.
[0021] The rocker 66 and the pushbutton 79 (resting on the rocker as shown in Figure 8) move against the action of a spiral spring 85 wound about the rocker pin 67 and presenting opposing arms 88 and 89, the first arm resting on the base 76 of the portion 75 and the second arm 89 cooperating with an internal projection 90 on the rocker 66. A different spring 97, keyed on the pin 64, presents an arm 93 cooperating with a tang or projection 94 rigid with the end part or second end 62B of the connecting rod 62.
[0022] In this manner, by pressing the pushbutton 79 (arrow W of Figure 1) or by operating the handgrip 17 with consequent movement of the rod 12 towards the rocker, the rocker 66 moves about the pin 67 (arrow M of Figure 1) against the force of the spring 85. This rotation results in movement of the connecting rod 61 in the direction of the arrow K of Figure 1, this movement causing the latch 18 to rotate about the pin 22 and separate from the counter-member 47, to hence enable the door to be opened.
[0023] As the connecting rod is connected to the rocker via a pin inserted through the slot 63 and as the arm 93 of the spring 97 cooperates with the tang 94 of said connecting rod, this latter is always maintained acting on the counter-member 47 whatever the distance of the body 2 from the door jamb 5 (within evident design limits). In this manner, the invention automatically adjusts the engagement between the latch and counter-member (along a direction perpendicular to the free surface 5A of the upright 5), enabling any errors due to imperfect assembly of the panels defining the door 4 to be compensated.
[0024] Another embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 10. In this, parts corresponding to those of the already described figures are indicated by the same reference numerals. The figure under examination shows a different method of securing the support 20 of the latch 18 while still enabling its distance from the inner surface 3 of the door 4 to be adjusted.
[0025] In this variant of the invention, the end portion 33 of the body 2 presents a seat 120 to receive a screw 121 having a threaded shank 122 emerging from said seat and arranged to collaborate with a threaded element 123 associated with the support 20. The screw presents a head 124 freely rotatable within the seat 120, such that its rotation within said seat leads to a movement of the support 20 relative to surface 3 of the door 4.
[0026] In detail, in the illustrated embodiment the threaded element is a nut fixed into a seat 130 provided in a part 131 of the support 20 projecting towards the body 2, said nut therefore not being able to rotate within the seat 130. Because of this, rotating the screw within the seat 120 causes the nut to screw along the screw so that the part 131 moves relative to said seat 120 and hence relative to the portion 33 of the body 2 along a direction defined by the axis H of the shank 122 of said screw. This enables the position of the support 20 to be continuously adjusted relative to the end portion 33 of the body 2 and hence relative to the door 4.
1. A fastener (1) for a coldroom door (4), said door presenting a body with two opposing
surfaces (3, 7), an inner first surface (3) facing the coldroom interior, the door
(4) moving relative to a coldroom door jamb or upright on which a fixed counter-member
(47) for a movable latch (18) of the fastener (1) is present, said latch (18) being
carried by a fastener body associated with the inner surface (3) of the door (4),
said body (2) presenting an outer cover (82) under which a mechanism (15) is present
for moving the latch (18) following action on an operating member (17, 79) external
to said cover (82) or positioned on the door second surface (7) located external to
the coldroom, characterised in that the latch (18) is associated with a support (20) removably associated with the body
(2) of the fastener (1) and able to be fixed in different positions relative to an
end portion (33) of said body (2) in order to assume a different distance from the
inner surface (3) of the door (4) and enable the position of the latch to be adjusted
relative to the counter-member (47) fixed to the door jamb (5).
2. A fastener as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the support (20) of the latch (18) carries a pin (22) on which the latch (18) is
hinged.
3. A fastener as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that said pin (22) is carried by spaced-apart parallel arms (23) secured by a transverse
portion (25), each arm presenting a flat wall (28) to cooperatingly rest on a corresponding
end surface (35) of the fastener body (2), fixing means (30, 31) being provided to
fix said support (20) and said body (2) together, said fixing means (30, 31) being
inserted through a hole (37) in one among said support and said body (2) and through
a slot (29) provided in the other among said support (20) and said body (2), said
slot (29) enabling the position of the support (2) to be adjusted relative to said
body (2) before fixing the parts together.
4. A fastener as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the fixing means are at least one screw (30) cooperating with a corresponding nut
(31).
5. A fastener as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the slot (29) is provided in each spaced-apart parallel arm (23) of the support (20)
of the latch (18), the slot being provided in a terminal wall (28) of a recess (27)
provided in said arm (23), the hole (30) being provided in a surface (35) of an end
portion (33) of the fastener body (2), against which surface there rests said terminal
part (28) of each said arm (23).
6. A fastener as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that at least part of the terminal wall (28) and at least part of the surface (35) of
the corresponding end portion (33) are knurled (at 40).
7. A fastener as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the end portion (33) of the body (2) presents parallel arms (34) arranged to cooperate
with the corresponding arms (23) of the support, the surface (35) of each arm (34)
of said end portion (33) cooperating with the terminal wall (28) of the corresponding
arm (23) of the support for the latch (18).
8. A fastener as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the latch (18) comprises a first end (19) with a through hole (21) for receiving
the hinge pin (22) of the latch (18), the latch (18) presenting an arcuate second
end (60) opposing the first, said first end being tapered.
9. A fastener as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the latch presents an inner recess (18A) containing a pin (61) on which a first end
(62A) of a connecting rod (62) is hinged, said connecting rod having a second end
(62B) presenting a slot or elongate hole (63) in which a transverse pin (64) is disposed
and relatively movable within the slot, said second end (62A) cooperating with an
elastic thrust element (97) arranged to urge said connecting rod towards said latch
(18) such as to enable this latter to cooperate with the fixed counter-member (47),
to take up and compensate any distance existing between them.
10. A fastener as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that the transverse pin (64) is carried by a rocker (66) inserted into the body (2) and
movable when subjected to the action of the operating member (17, 79), said movement
taking place against the action of a helical spring (85) about a hinge pin (67) with
which said spring is rigid.
11. A fastener as claimed in claims 9 and 10, characterised in that the helical spring (85) is flanked, on the hinge pin (67), by the elastic thrust
element (97) for the connecting rod (62).
12. A fastener as claimed in claims 10 and 11, characterised in that the spring (85) presents a first arm (88) resting on a base of the fastener body
(2), a second arm of the spring cooperating with the rocker (66), the elastic thrust
element also being a helical spring keyed onto the hinge pin (67) of the rocker (66)
and presenting an arm (93) cooperating with a projection (94) rigid with the second
end (62B) of the connecting rod (62).
13. A fastener as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that the rocker (66) presents a portion (72) mounted on a pin (74) fixed inside the body
(2) of the fastener (1), on said portion there resting a pushbutton (79) for operating
the latch (18).
14. A fastener as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that the rocker (66) cooperates with a rod (12) which passes through the door (4) and
with which there is operatively associated, fixed on an outer surface (7) of the door
(4), a handgrip of an operating element (10) for the latch (18).
15. A fastener as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the fixed counter-member (47) has a thickness less than 8 mm.
16. A fastener as claimed in claim 15, characterised in that the counter-member is positioned on an outer face (5A) of the door jamb (5).
17. A fastener as claimed in claim 15, characterised in that the counter-member presents a recessed part (49) to be positioned within a recess
provided in the outer face (5A) of the door jamb (5).
18. A fastener as claimed in claim 15, characterised in that the counter-member projects less than 5 mm from the outer face (5A) of the door jamb.