Patent Application
20070261615
The claimed inventions relate generally to locking mechanisms, particularly those for doors, and more particularly, to safe or security doors. The claimed inventions concern mechanisms that improve the ability of such doors and their locking systems to withstand external forces intended to disable the locking systems and allow unauthorized entry.
Disclosed herein are various exemplary mechanisms by which external forces applied to doors and their locking mechanisms are deflected or directed away from the critical components of the locking system thereby preserving the integrity of the locking system and preventing unauthorized entry. Detailed information on various example embodiments of the inventions are provided in the Detailed Description below, and the inventions are defined by the appended claims.
Reference will now be made in detail to various systems incorporating a force deflector with a force transfer plate and force actuator bar that may include some embodiments of the claimed inventions, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Many persons have come to rely on security devices such as safes and security doors to protect themselves and their property. To use such a security safe or security door and take advantage of its security features and protection, one must operate a locking system that allows only certain operators access to inside the safe or inside the security door. Typically, such a locking system involves the actual lock, but also a wheel or handle or other such device used, usually by turning, to disengage the latch of the safe or security door and allow the same to be opened after the actual lock has been deactivated. The operation of such a typical locking system usually involves closing the safe door or security door, turning the wheel or handle or otherwise activating a latch or series of locking pins, which engage the door frame, to prevent the safe door or security door from being opened, and then activating a lock to prevent the latch or series of pins from being deactivated without the proper entry permission parameter, such as a combination or key to the lock or locking system. When the operator correctly uses the combination or key to activate the lock and lock the safe or security door, the operator causes a physical object, sometimes referred to as a “tongue” to move into a certain position in contact or near contact with the latch or locking pins, thereby preventing the latch or locking pins from disengaging from the door frame. Accordingly, unless the operator uses the proper entry permission parameter, such as a combination or a key, the latch or locking pins will not disengage and the lock will not be deactivated and the safe or security door remains locked.
Over time those persons desiring to open a safe or security door without the proper entry permission parameter have devised numerous methods of doing so. One particularly effective and simple method of gaining such unauthorized entry involves supplying force to one or more of the latches or locking pins engaged in the door frame. Typically, this is done by drilling through the outside wall of the safe or security door frame to expose a latch or locking pin or pins. A force is then applied to the latch or locking pin, usually by striking the latch or pin with a physical object. That force is transferred through the latch or locking pin back to the lock tongue. If the applied force is great enough, the tongue is sheared or otherwise broken or disabled. As the tongue is the main component of the lock or locking system, once it is sheared off, disabled, or broken, the wheel or handle or other such device on the outside of the safe or security door can be activated to disengage the latch or locking pins from the door frame. At that point the safe or security door is opened, and access is gained to the persons or property within the safe or security door, without the use of the proper entry permission parameter combination or key.
Referring now to
As shown in
As more specifically shown in
Although
Referring now to
The rotational entry shaft 8 may be of any length necessary to allow communication between the wheel or handle or other opening mechanism on the outside of the door and the single bar force transfer actuator 7 on the inside of the door. Likewise, the rotational entry shaft 8 may be of any shape, including square or rectangular in cross section. The rotational entry shaft 8 is also in contact with the safe or security door, in a manner that allows the shaft to engage the door but still rotate when operated, through any one of many methods well known to those of skill in the art, such as through use of bearings.
The force transfer shaft 9 does not run through the door, but instead is welded or otherwise attached to the single bar force transfer actuator 7 on the inside of the door and projects toward the outside of the door through an opening in the force transfer plate 6. Similar to the rotational entry shaft 8, the force transfer shaft 9 may be of any length or shape necessary to allow communication between the single bar force transfer actuator 7 and the force transfer plate 6.
The positions of the rotational entry shaft 8 and the force transfer shaft 9 are shown by example only, and those of skill in the art will appreciate that those positions can by varied at any point along the single bar force transfer actuator 7 to achieve many objectives, such as increased performance or ease of construction, and still fall within the present invention.
In normal or typical operation, when an operator desires to lock the safe or security door, or in other words to secure the door from unauthorized entry, the operator activates the lock or locking mechanism 12, and more particularly the tongue or bar of the locking mechanism 13, which then engages the force transfer plate through slot 14 to prevent the movement of the force transfer plate, and therefore the movement of the locking pins out of the door frame. The slot 14 in the force transfer plate 6 is an aperture or opening through which the tongue 13 passes when the locking mechanism 12 is activated. Similar to the rotational shaft travel slot 10 or the force transfer travel slot 11, the slot 14 allows an object to pass through another object. In case of slot 14, it allows the tongue 13 to engage the force transfer plate 6, and prevent the force transfer plate 6 from moving, when the tongue 13 passes through the slot 14 in the force transfer plate 6.
Assuming as shown in
As can be seen from
Referring again to
As the rotational shaft 8 continues to rotate, the force transfer shaft 9 continues to engage the force transfer plate 6 through the force transfer shaft travel slot 11 and as a result, causes the force transfer plate 6 to move spatially (horizontally) away from the side of the safe or security door. In
As the rotation continues and the force transfer plate 6 continues to move away from the side of the safe or security door, the force transfer shaft 9 travels up the force transfer travel slot 11. The force transfer travel slot 11 both allows engagement between the force transfer shaft 9 and the force transfer plate 6 and allows the force deflector plate 6 to continue to move spatially away from the side of the safe or security door as rotation continues. It is understood that the single bar force transfer actuator 7 may have two or more force transfer shafts 9 connected to it and each such force transfer shaft 9 would have a corresponding force transfer slot 11 in the force transfer plate 6. It is also understood that the single bar force transfer actuator 7 may have an optional secondary force transfer shaft or shafts, which would operate in the same manner as the force transfer shaft or shafts 9. Also, just as the projected end 17 of the force transfer shaft 9 passes through the force transfer shaft travel slot 11, the projected ends of any secondary force transfer shafts 9 at position 15 would also pass through the force transfer plate 6 via force transfer shaft travel slots 11 and allow any such secondary force transfer shafts to both engage the force transfer plate 6 and allow the force deflector plate 6 to continue to move spatially away from the side of the safe or security door as rotation continues.
Again referring to
In other words, the force transfer travel slot 11 allows the force transfer shaft 9 to engage the force transfer plate 6 and allows the force transfer plate 6 to continue to move away from the side of the safe or security door as rotation continues, while the rotational shaft travel slot 10 allows the force transfer plate 6 to continue to move away from the side of the safe or security door as rotation continues by providing a space for the rotational entry shaft 8 to rotate without coming into contact with, and preventing the movement of, the force transfer plate 6.
As rotation continues, because the force transfer plate 6 is connected to the locking pin connection plate 5 and the force transfer plate 6 move spatially toward the middle of the safe or security door, the locking pin connection plate 5 also moves spatially toward the middle of the safe or security door. As a result, the locking pins 3 are withdrawn from the door frame 2 and/or the sides of the safe or security door and accordingly the door may be opened.
To close the door, before the locking mechanism 12 is actuated, the handle or opening mechanism is operated, usually by turning in the opposite direction, to cause the above-described process to proceed in reverse. When reversed, the locking pin connection plate 5 and the force transfer plate 6 move spatially away from the middle of the safe or security door and toward the edge of the safe or security door. In such a manner, the locking pins 3 are inserted behind or into the door frame 2 and/or the sides of the safe or security door. In this manner the safe or security door is closed and prepared for locking.
Now referring to
The single bar force actuator 7 is shown in the horizontal position perpendicular to the locking pin connection plate 5. The rotational entry shaft 8 and the force transfer shaft 9 are aligned with each other, in this case horizontally, and are aligned in a plane perpendicular to the locking pin connection plate 5.
The force transfer shaft 9, which engages the force transfer plate 6 through the force transfer shaft travel slot 11, is separated from the edge of the force transfer shaft travel slot 11 by a distance 19. Distance 19 can be any distance, including zero, which means that the force transfer shaft 9 is in contact with the force transfer plate 6 and the point of contact is the edge of the force transfer shaft 9 where it passes through the force transfer shaft travel slot 11. Preferably, although it is not required, the distance 19 is less than the distance 18 so that with the locking mechanism 12 activated (and therefore the tongue 13 extended into the slot 14), the force transfer plate 6, as it moves spatially (horizontally), would engage, or come into contact with, the force transfer shaft 9 before it would engage, or come into contact with, the tongue 13.
If the distance 19 is more than the distance 18 so that as the force transfer plate 6 moves it engages the tongue 13 before the force transfer shaft 9, the force deflector will still work because the tongue 13 will deflect and can absorb some movement, thereby allowing the force transfer plate 6 to engage or come into contact with the force transfer shaft 9. Accordingly, if the distance 19 is more than the distance 18, the tongue 13 will deform or bend to a certain extent before failing, allowing time and distance for the force transfer plate 6 to engage or come into contact with the force transfer shaft 9.
With the safe or security door and the force deflector in the locked position, any force applied to any of the locking pins 3 is transferred to the safe or security door without damaging the tongue 13, thereby preventing the locking mechanism from being disabled. Specifically, when a force is applied to any of the locking pins 3, the force is transferred to the locking pin connection plate 5. From the locking pin connection plate 5, the force travels to the force deflector plate 6. Because the force deflector plate 6 is in contact with, or separated by a distance of 19 from the force transfer shaft 9, as the force transfer plate 6 comes into contact with the force transfer shaft 9, the applied force is transferred from the force transfer plate 6 to the force transfer shaft 9. Likewise, because the force transfer shaft 9 is welded or otherwise attached to the single bar force transfer actuator 7, which in turn is welded or otherwise attached to the rotational entry shaft 8, the applied force is transferred from the force transfer shaft 9 to the rotational entry shaft 8. Finally, because the rotational entry shaft 8 is in contact or close communication with the safe or security door itself, the applied force is transferred to the safe or security door. In summary, the force applied to locking pins 3 is transferred from the force transfer shaft 9 through the single bar force transfer actuator 7, through the rotational entry shaft 8 to the safe or security door where it is harmlessly absorbed and dissipated.
Without this system, any force applied to the locking pins 3 is transferred to the tongue 13. Specifically, when a force is applied to any of the locking pins 3, the force is transferred to the force deflector plate 6 through the locking pin connection plate 5. Without the interaction described above involving the force transfer plate 6, the single bar force transfer actuator 7, the rotational entry shaft 8, the force transfer shaft 9, and the travel slots 10 and 11, any force applied to the locking pins 3 is transferred from the force transfer plate 6 directly to the tongue 13. Similarly, if the force deflector plate 6 is separated by a distance of 19 from the force transfer shaft 9, but that distance 19 is greater than the distance 18 between the tongue 13 and the tongue locking slot 14, the force transfer plate 6, as it moves spatially (horizontally) due to any applied force, would engage the tongue 13 before it would engage the force transfer shaft 9.
When applied to the tongue 13, experience has shown that if the force is great enough, the tongue 13 is sheared or otherwise broken or disabled. As the tongue 13 is an important component of the locking system, and sometimes the only or main component of the locking system, once it is sheared off, disabled, or broken, the wheel or handle or other such device on the outside of the safe or security door can be activated to rotate the rotational entry shaft. As previously explained, this ultimately withdraws and disengages the locking pins 3 from the door frame 2 and/or the sides of the safe or security door. At that point the safe or security door is opened, without the use of the proper entry permission parameter combination or key. Accordingly, by deflecting the force away from the tongue 13, the force deflector prevents a means of unauthorized entry into the safe or security door.
Those of skill in the art will appreciate that many variants of the above-described force deflector are possible and all fall within the present invention. For example, in an alternative operation, another locking pin connection plate 5 is added to the side of the door opposite from the current locking pin connection plate 5. Those of skill in the art would appreciate that conceptually there is no limit to the number, locations, or shapes of locking pin connection plates 5 (and locking pins 3) and multiple such devices may be located on the sides, top, and bottom of the safe or security door. The only restraint to such devices is the physical limitation of size and placement—the locking pin connection plates and pins must be configured to allow operation of the safe or security door.
For illustration,
Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the size and shape of the force transfer shafts 9, including the secondary force transfer shaft, may be varied to achieve any number of desired goals, such as the best possible security or ease of use of the mechanism. Those of skill in the art will also appreciate that although
In operation, the force deflector depicted in
As rotation continues the two locking pin connection plates 5 and the two force transfer plates 6 move spatially toward the middle of the safe or security door and toward each other. In this manner the rotation withdraws the locking pins 3 from the sides of the safe or security door and allows the door to be opened. To close the door, before the locking mechanism 12 is activated, the handle or opening mechanism is operated, usually by turning in the opposite direction, to cause the above-described process to proceed in reverse. When reversed, the locking pin connection plates 5 and the force transfer plates 6 move spatially away from the middle of the safe or security door (and away from each other) and toward the door edge and the locking pins 3 are inserted behind or into the door frame 2 and/or sides of the safe or security door. In this manner the safe or security door is closed and prepared for locking; i.e. the door is closed, the locking pins are inserted, and the locking mechanism 12 can be activated to lock the safe or security door.
The force deflector depicted in
Additionally, as a result of the multiple force transfer plates 6, the force deflector can use multiple locking mechanisms 12 positioned at different locations on door 1. Accordingly, the safe or security door would be more secure.
An alternative modification to the force deflector depicted in
Another exemplary alternative is set forth in
One advantage of such a system results from the multiple force transfer plates 6, which can be used in conjunction with multiple locking mechanisms 12 positioned at different locations on door 1 to improve security. Additional advantages of the force deflector shown in
The force transfer shafts 25 correspond to two additional force transfer travel slots 26, one in each of the force transfer plates 6. One advantage of the force transfer shafts 25 is that any applied force is divided between four such shafts, further preventing any one component from bearing the total applied force, improving the deflection and absorption of the applied force, and preventing a means of unauthorized entry into the safe or security door.
Those of skill in the art will also appreciate that although
Although the systems described above have been discussed in relation to a safe or security door, those systems may be adapted to other door types with minor modification, for example garage doors or access doors of many other types. The scope of use of the above described force deflector should therefore be interpreted broadly rather than restrictively.
While various systems incorporating a force deflector have been described and illustrated in conjunction with a number of specific configurations and methods, those skilled in the art will appreciate that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the principles herein illustrated, described, and claimed. The present invention, as defined by the appended claims, may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The configurations described herein are to be considered in all respects as only illustrative, and not restrictive. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
