Door lock mechanism in a cluster mailbox, especially for letter

Abstract

 The lock mechanism includes a housed (2) linear electromechanical actuator (4) which raises the hook bolt (9) protruding from the face plate (3) through the double-arm lever system (6) and leaves it in an open position. The "L"-shaped double-arm lever (6) is rotated around a shorter horizontal arm (8) by 180°. The lever has a rotating bearing on a pin (7) in the corner area of both arms (8, 10), the shorter horizontal arm (8) of which is topped with a hook bolt (9) and the longer vertical arm (10) is topped with a pusher (11) facing the opening in the face plate (3). The double-armed lever (6) is loaded with a torsion spring mounted at one end to the pin (7) and at the other to the longer arm (10) on the side of the pusher (11). The electromechanical actuator (4) faces the piston rod (5) and presses on the longer arm (10) on the opposite side to the pusher (11). Dimensions of the length of arms (8, 10) of the double-armed lever (6), the depth of the bolt (9) and the length of the pusher (11) are carefully chosen. When the piston rod (5) of the electromechanical actuator (4) is being pushed out, the face of the pusher (11) makes contact with the door (1) only after the bolt (9) is at a height that is not less than its depth.

Description

[0001] The subject of the invention is a door lock mechanism in a cluster mailbox especially the one intended for letters, opened by an electromechanical actuator operated remotely by an electronic access code signal: alphanumeric, biometric or a transponder.

[0002] The door lock mechanism presented in invention FR 2845718 is already known. The lock has a tilting bolt that is mounted in the door and when in a closed position it is locked in the frame by an element driven by the electromechanical actuator. The actuator is moved back by the access signal which releases the tilting bolt, allowing it to be moved out from the frame and to open the box door. There is also a lock described in patent description FR 2941732, consisting of a housed linear electromechanical actuator. The actuator is connected with a hook bolt protruding from the face plate through a lever system. The spring-loaded hook bolt is attached in a closed position in the opening of the frame. The cylinder piston rod is moved out and the bolt is raised -this allows for opening the door.

[0003] The cluster mailboxes opened with an access code, used for sending and collecting letters, parcels or other different-size packages, are often built as free-standing in an open space, which is why in winter conditions the door can freeze and this may hinder the opening procedure. Permanent box heating is expensive and can be detrimental to temperature-sensitive contents of a package. It would be appropriate to develop a mechanical solution that would support the process of opening a frozen box door. What is more, due to widespread and 24-hour access to boxes - including burglar attempts - it is important to increase the lock's resistance to possible intrusions (apart from alarm protection).

[0004] Similar to well-known solutions and in accordance with the following invention, the lock mechanism includes a housed linear electromechanical actuator which raises the hook bolt protruding from the face plate through the lever system and leaves it in an open position. The essence of the invention lies in the fact that the mechanism consists of an "L"-shaped double-arm lever rotated around a shorter horizontal arm by 180°. The lever has a rotating bearing on a pin in the corner area of both arms, the shorter horizontal arm of which is topped with the hook bolt and the longer vertical arm is topped with a pusher facing the opening in the face plate. The double-armed lever is loaded with a torsion spring mounted at one end to the pin and at the other to the longer arm on the side of the pusher. The electromechanical actuator faces the piston rod and presses on the longer arm on the opposite side to the pusher. Dimensions of the length of arms of the double-armed lever, the depth of the bolt and the length of the pusher are carefully chosen. When the piston rod of the electromechanical actuator is being pushed out, the face of the pusher makes contact with the door only after the bolt is at a height that is not less than its depth.

[0005] The preferred solution takes place when a non-contact door position sensor, especially a Hall-effect one, is mounted on the inner surface of the face plate.
Burglary attempts are effectively hindered by the design of the invention, wherein the mechanism has a bearing hole in the double-armed lever and its elongated shape is composed of two semi-circles with a diameter of the pin, spaced apart on a joint axis of symmetry, the ends of which are connected by straight lines. The axis of symmetry is perpendicular to the surface of the face plate of the lock housing and parallel to the bearing surface of the bolt. Moreover, the end of the bolt has a protruding locking tooth and is covered on both sides by a bracket that is rigidly connected to the face plate and opened from the bottom and from the top, whereas from the front it is finished with a catch. The catch locking surface is located slightly above the upper surface of the locking tooth.
It is also beneficial when the hook surface of the bolt is inclined at an acute angle relative to the bearing surface.

[0006] The presented lock mechanism invention allows for breaking the door lock by pushing power. The control system software enables multiple signal sending and force activity of the pusher until the door is open. The pusher operates with full force of the electromechanical actuator in the final stroke area after the bolt is raised to the open position. According to the invention, the mechanism can be made in an anti-burglar version with the elongated opening in the lever, the locking tooth and the bracket with the catch. In case of a burglary, when the door is tilted in a lever manner using a crowbar inserted into a gap between the frame, the door is pushed out which simultaneously moves the double-arm lever forward within the elongated bearing opening and the locking tooth is pushed under the bracket catch. Such a solution, in combination with a reinforced door structure, is a significant impediment to a burglar, even if brutal action is taken.

[0007] According to the invention, the lock mechanism is presented in the description of a model design of a cluster mailbox with anti-burglar protection. Subsequent figures present the following: Fig. 1 - A perspective view of a fragment of one box with a lock; Figures 2, 3 and 4 - front views of the mechanism with elements of the lock in subsequent positions: closure, opening and during a burglary attempt; Fig. 5 - front view of the double-arm lever; Figures 6 and 7 - perspective views of a fragment of interaction between the bolt and the bracket in positions of closure and during a burglary attempt.
The cluster mailbox contains many safety deposits behind doors (1) which are opened remotely using an access code from a control module which is not shown in any figure. The doors (1) to the safety deposits are locked using bolts (9) moved by electromagnetic actuators (4) which are controlled by the control module computer that is authorized by a Client's access code, for example, a digital access code on the keypad, a biometric scanner or a barcode scanner [MP1]. The central control module includes a programmed computer device connected to the Internet, a touch screen monitor, a printer and an ATM, a banknote acceptor or a payment terminal. The lock mechanism is in a housing (2) mounted on the side wall of a safety deposit. In the housing there is a linear electromagnetic actuator (4) the piston rod of which (5) presses against the double-arm lever (6) with the hook bolt (9) that protrudes from the face plate (3). The double-arm lever (6) shown in detail in Figure 5 has a shape that is similar to the letter "L" rotated around the shorter horizontal arm (8) by 180°. The lever has a rotating bearing on a pin (7) in the corner area of both arms (8) and (10), the shorter horizontal arm (8) of which is topped with the hook bolt (9) and the longer vertical arm (10) is topped with a pusher (11) facing the opening in the face plate (3). The double-armed lever (6) is loaded with a torsion spring (12) mounted at one end to the pin (7) and at the other to the longer arm (10) on the side of the pusher (11).

[0008] It is obvious that the torque of tilting of the double-arm lever (6) by the electromechanical actuator (4) around the pin (7) is greater than the torque of the torsion spring (12). The electromechanical actuator (4) faces the bearing (5) and presses the longer arm (10) on the opposite side to the pusher (11). Dimensions of the length of arms (8 and 10) of the double-armed lever (6), the depth of the bolt (9) and the length of the pusher (11) are carefully chosen. When the piston rod (5) of the electromechanical actuator (4) is being pushed out, the face of the pusher (11) makes contact with the door (1) only after the bolt (9) is at a height that is not less than its depth. The Hall-effect sensor (13) for the position of the door (1) is mounted on the inner surface of the face plate (3) and its signal is sent to the control system. In the described design of the mechanism, in the anti-burglar version, the double-arm lever (6) has the bearing opening "t" with an elongated shape, formed from two semi-circles with the diameter "d" of the pin (7) located on the joint axis of symmetry "0-0" and with ends connected by straight lines. The axis of symmetry "0-0" is perpendicular to the surface of the face plate (3) of the housing (2) of the lock and parallel to the bearing surface "ph" of the bolt (9). The end of the bolt (9) has a protruding locking tooth (14) and is covered on both sides by a bracket (15) that is rigidly connected to the face plate (3) and opened from the bottom and from the top, whereas from the front it is finished with a catch (16). The catch (16) has the locking surface "pb" located slightly above the upper surface of the locking tooth (14). The hook surface "ph" of the bolt (9) is inclined at an acute angle a=80° relative to the bearing surface "po".

[0009] In the closed position of the lock - as shown in Figure 2 - the bolt (9) is in the position "a" of its bearing surface "po". The double-arm lever (6) is in the back position with the gap "x" between the pin (7) and the rear semi-circle of the bearing opening "f".

[0010] In the open position of the lock, as shown in Figure 3, the bolt (9) is under the pressure of the piston rod (5) that presses on the longer arm (10) of the double-arm lever (6) and is tilted up to the position "b". The position "x" of the double-arm lever (6) relative to the pin (7) remains the same.

[0011] During a burglary attempt shown in Figure 4, the double-arm lever (6) is pulled out by the door (1) tilted by a burglar and placed in the front position "y" while maintaining the closed position "a" of the bolt (9).

List of signs in figures

[0012] 

1.

Door

2.

Housing

3.

Face plate

4.

Electromechanical actuator

5.

Piston rod of the actuator

6.

Double-arm lever

7.

Pin

8.

Shorter arm

9.

Bolt

10.

Longer arm

11.

Pusher

12.

Torsion spring

13.

Hallo-effect sensor

14.

Locking tooth

15.

Bracket

16.

Catch

a.  Location of the bearing surface of the lock bolt after closure and during a burglary attempt
b.  Location of the bearing surface of the lock bolt after closure
x.  Location of the double-arm lever relative to the lock pin after closure and during a burglary attempt
y.  Location of the double-arm lever relative to the pin during a burglary attempt


  Bearing opening
d.  Diameter of the pin
O-O.  Axis of symmetry of the bearing opening
g.  Depth of the hook bolt
ph.  Hook surface of the bolt
po.  Bearing surface of the bolt
pb.  Locking surface of the catch
α .  Angle of inclination of the hook surface

Claims

1. The door lock mechanism in a cluster mailbox intended especially for letters includes a housed linear electromechanical actuator which raises the hook bolt protruding from the face plate through the lever system and leaves it in an open position. The invention is characterised in that the mechanism consists of an "L"-shaped double-arm lever (6) rotated around a shorter horizontal arm (8) by 180°. The lever has a rotating bearing on a pin (7) in the corner area of both arms (8, 10), the shorter horizontal arm (8) of which is topped with the hook bolt (9) and the longer vertical arm (10) is topped with a pusher (11) facing the opening in the face plate (3). The double-armed lever (6) is loaded with a torsion spring (12) mounted at one end to the pin (7) and at the other to the longer arm (10) on the side of the pusher (11). The electromechanical actuator (4) faces the piston rod (5) and presses on the longer arm (10) on the opposite side to the pusher (11). Dimensions of the length of arms (8, 10) of the double-armed lever (6), the depth (g) of the bolt (9) and the length of the pusher (11) are carefully chosen. When the piston rod (5) of the electromechanical actuator (4) is being pushed out, the face of the pusher (11) makes contact with the door (1) only after the bolt (9) is at a height that is not less than its depth (g).

2. According to claim 1, the lock mechanism is characterised in that it has a non-contact door (1) position sensor (13), especially a Hall-effect one, mounted on the inner surface of the face plate (3).

3. According to claim 1, the lock mechanism is characterised in that it has the bearing opening

in the double-arm lever (6) with an elongated shape, formed from two semi-circles with the diameter (d) of the pin (7) located on the joint axis of symmetry (0-0) and with ends connected by straight lines. The axis of symmetry (0-0) is perpendicular to the surface of the face plate (3) of the housing (2) of the lock and parallel to the bearing surface (ph) of the bolt (9). The end of the bolt (9) has a protruding locking tooth (14) and is covered on both sides by a bracket (15) that is rigidly connected to the face plate (3) and opened from the bottom and from the top, whereas from the front it is finished with a catch (16). The catch (16) has the rocking lsurface (pb) located slightly above the upper surface of the locking tooth (14).

4. According to claim 1 or 3, the lock mechanism is characterised in that it has the hook surface (ph) of the bolt (9) inclined at an acute angle (a) relative to the bearing surface (po).

Drawing