1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a bar closure comprising a closure drive with a lever-shaped bar drive with at least one bar receptacle for a locking bar of the bar closure and with an optional rotary latch, wherein the bar receptacle is connected to the bar drive by means of an articulated arrangement.
2. Description of Related Art
A bar closure of the type mentioned above is already known from European Patent 0054225. As can be seen from
The production and mounting of the closure in the above-cited patent is not optimal for certain applications. It is the object of the invention to provide an improved design which, in particular, facilitates mounting and which can also be produced in a simpler manner.
The above-stated object is met in that the bar receptacle has a clip device in which, or on which, the end of the bar can be inserted or fitted so as to catch.
By means of this catching, the bar is automatically secured in the bar receptacle so that a retaining ring for the same purpose need not be provided. In many applications, it is sufficient when the bar receptacle and bar drive are injection molded from plastic because plastics with great inherent strength are currently commercially available and the closing forces which can be achieved thereby are sufficient.
An embodiment example in which the articulated arrangement is formed by a film hinge is possible with the plastic material mentioned above.
This has the advantage that the bar drive and the bar receptacles can be injection molded integral with one another, which simplifies production enormously.
Alternatively, the bar receptacle can be made of plastic and the bar drive can be made of metal. In this case, an advisable arrangement consists in that the articulated arrangement is formed by a metal pin which is formed or carried by the bar drive and which can be engaged in a clip-like manner by an axially slit hinge roller which is formed or carried by the bar receptacle.
The hinge roller can be slit in a position extending perpendicular to the bar axis. Alternatively, the hinge roller can also be slit in a position lying in the bar axis.
The hinge roller advantageously forms, at the end of the slit, an axial stop for the pin because the possibility of losing the pin can be eliminated in this way.
An intermediate position (rotated by 45 degrees with respect to the bar axis) is also possible.
The articulated arrangement can comprise a connection part of flexible plastic or rubber which can be received by clipping into a slit eyelet of the bar drive on one side and into a slit eyelet of the bar receptacle on the other side.
According to another embodiment form, the articulated arrangement comprises a stud which is provided with an annular groove and which proceeds from the lever end of the lever-shaped bar drive, a bar receptacle part provided with an eyelet can be fitted to this stud and can be prevented from sliding off by spring legs which proceed from the eyelet and project into the annular groove. Mounting can be carried out faster in this way.
According to another embodiment form, the spring legs are formed by a metal sleeve whose front edge has a plurality of notches to form the spring legs.
Alternatively, according to another embodiment form, the spring legs can be spring legs which are formed integral with the injection-molded plastic eyelet.
According to another embodiment form, the bar receptacle part forms a hollow space in which the free end of a rectangular bar can be inserted, this rectangular bar being provided at its end with an opening or recess in which a spring leg projecting into the hollow space can be received so as to lock the bar.
Alternatively, according to another embodiment form, the bar receptacle part forms a hollow space in which the free end of a round bar can be inserted, which end can be received in a locking manner by a flat spring disk which is provided with an opening and which projects into the hollow space. In this case (claim 16), the bar receptacle part can have a lateral slit for the insertion of the flat spring disk.
On the other hand, according to another embodiment form, the bar receptacle part can be injection molded from plastic, and the flat spring disk can be surrounded by this plastic.
As in the prior art, the bar drive can form a double-lever, and a bar receptacle according to the invention can be arranged at both of its ends.
The bar drive can have a receptacle for a separately insertable, conventional latch tongue. This is already known, per se (see, for example, page 2-151 of a catalog by DIRAK GmbH & Co. KG, Königsfelder Str. 1, DE-58256, Ennepetal, Germany, entitled “Modular Hardware Systems DIRAK—Handbuch 2007 Deutsch”. On the other hand, an embodiment form in which the bar drive has a latch tongue that is produced integral with it is conceivable.
The articulated arrangement can project over the bar drive and/or bar receptacle on at least one side, preferably on the side directed to the fastening surface for the closure, resulting in a greater extension for the film hinge and, therefore, greater strength. Further, a desired distance is maintained with respect to the fastening surface, for example, a door leaf.
The bar drive can have a bar receptacle for a round bar with an eyelet or opening at the end. Alternatively, the bar drive can also have a bar receptacle for a flat bar with an eyelet or opening at the end.
It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the present invention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevant for a clear understanding of the present invention, while eliminating, for purposes of clarity, many other elements which are conventional in this art. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other elements are desirable for implementing the present invention. However, because such elements are well known in the art, and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present invention, a discussion of such elements is not provided herein.
The present invention will now be described in detail on the basis of exemplary embodiments.
The tongue or the rotary latch 20 can be injection molded integral with the bar drive 14, but in this case is shown as a separate part 20 which can be received by positive engagement in a corresponding recess 28 of the bar drive 14 and secured by a screw 30 which can be screwed into a drive shaft 32 at the front by means of a corresponding threaded bore hole. The drive shaft 32 is rotatable (e.g., by 90°) in a closure housing 34 which can be mounted in turn in a thin wall such as a sheet metal cabinet door 36, for example, by means of a union nut 38. The drive shaft 32 has a square end on which a square opening of the bar drive 14 can be inserted. In a corresponding manner, a tongue 20 is provided with a square opening by which the sash-type tongue 20 can be fitted to the shaft 32 so as to be rigid with respect to rotation relative to it and is then held in position by the nut 30. The drive shaft 32 is driven, for example, by a socket wrench which can be applied to the other end 40 of the drive shaft 32 from the outside.
The bar drive 14 has a nose 42 which, instead of the nose 44 of the rotary latch 20, engages with a corresponding recess surface 46 of the housing end 34 and limits the rotational path of the bar drive 14 (e.g., to 90 degrees).
The nose 44 of the tongue 20 is received by a corresponding recess 48 in the drive disk 14.
The round bar 18 is secured axially by a pin or projection 50 which is guided through a corresponding opening in the pressed-flat end of the round bar 18 when the round bar 18 is in the clipped-in position shown in
In the embodiment form according to
The embodiment forms according to
In all of the embodiment forms, the articulated arrangement 22, 522 projects over the bar drive 14, 514 and/or the bar receptacle 16, 516 on at least one side, preferably on the side facing the fastening surface 36.
According to the other embodiment form in
The spring legs 70 can be formed by a metal sleeve, one of whose front edges has a plurality of notches to form the spring legs.
Alternatively, the spring legs 70 can be spring legs emerging from a plastic injection-molded eyelet 68 so as to be integral therewith.
According to
Alternatively, according to
On the other hand, the bar receptacle part (particularly if it should be injection molded from plastic) can be constructed in such a way that the flat spring disk is surrounded by this plastic and, as such, fixedly anchored therein.
The advantage of the embodiment form for round bars consists in that the bar requires no special shape at the end such as a pressed-flat end, for example, according to
Commercial Applicability:
The invention is commercially applicable in switch cabinet construction.
While this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the invention as set forth above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventions as defined in the following claims.
10 closure
12 closure drive
14, 214, 514, 1614, 1724 bar drive
16, 116, 216, 516, 1616, 1716 bar receptacle
18, 118 bar
20 rotary latch, tongue
22, 522, 1622 articulated arrangement
24, 1624, 1724 clip device
26 thin film, film hinge
28 recess
30 screw
32 drive shaft
34 closure housing
36 wall, fastening surface
38 union nut
40 other end
42 nose
44 nose
46 recess
48 recess
50 pin, projection
52 opening
54 nose
56 metal pin
58, 358, 458, 558 hinge roller, eyelet
60 connection part
62 slit eyelet
64 annular groove
66 stud
68 eyelet
70 spring legs
72 hollow space
74 opening
76 spring leg
78 flat spring disk
80 slit
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
20 2007 014 504.7 | Oct 2007 | DE | national |
The present application claims priority from PCT Patent Application No. PCT/EP2007/010669 filed on Dec. 8, 2007, which claims priority from German Patent Application No. DE 20 2007 014 504.7 filed on Oct. 17, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP07/10699 | 12/8/2007 | WO | 00 | 9/16/2010 |