Lock assembly for a storage cabinet

Abstract

A lock assembly is provided which includes a lock mechanism with cover, and a pair of vertically movable locking rods. The lock mechanism is readily mountable to a liner of a cabinet door by a clamp member which permits initial clamping of the mechanism on an inner liner of the door, after which the inner liner is mounted to an outer finish panel. After assembly of the inner liner to the outer panel, the lock assembly is clamped in an aligned position in alignment with a corresponding lock aperture in the outer panel. The lock assembly further includes a fastener-free connector arrangement between a lock rack of the lock mechanism and the locking rods which is slidably driven thereby. A cover is snap fittingly mounted on the inner liner to guide the locking rod and prevent disengagement from the lock rack.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a storage cabinet.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the door assembly for the storage cabinet.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view thereof.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an inner liner for the door assembly.

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view thereof.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a lock assembly.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the lock assembly.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the lock assembly.

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of an alignment tool or fixture.

FIG. 10 is an exploded isometric view of a lock plug and associated key.

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of a rotatable cam for the lock assembly.

FIG. 12 is a rear view of a slidable lock rack.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the lock rack.

FIG. 14 is a front isometric view of a lock housing.

FIG. 15 is an exploded side view of the lock assembly being mounted to the door assembly.

FIG. 16 is a front view of the lock assembly with slidable locking rods engaged to the lock racks.

FIG. 17 is a partial side cross-sectional view of the slidable locking rod slidably supported in the door assembly in an unlocked position.

FIG. 18 illustrates the locking rod displaced upwardly to a locking position.

FIG. 19 is an enlarged partial rear elevational view with the locking rod illustrated in phantom outline.

FIG. 20 is a top cross-sectional view illustrating the locking rod slideably supported in a guide flange of the inner liner.

FIG. 21 is a rear outer view of a cover of the lock assembly.

FIG. 22 is a side cross-sectional view of the cover as taken along line A-A of FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the cover.

FIG. 24 is a diagrammatic top view illustrating the cover being mounted to the inner liner.

FIG. 25 illustrates the cover snap fittingly engaged with the inner liner.

Claims

1. A door assembly for a storage cabinet comprising: a door having a lock window therein within an interior portion thereof, and at least one locking rod which is slidably supported by said door so as to be movable along a slide path, said locking rod having a lock end disposed adjacent an edge of said door so as to be movable to an extended position to lock the door and a retracted position to permit opening of said door, said locking rod further including a drive end disposed within said lock opening; anda lock mechanism having a lock housing mounted to said door such that said lock mechanism is disposed within said lock window, said lock mechanism further including at least one lock rack which is slidable along a drive path and said lock mechanism further including an actuator accessible from an exterior of said door to effect selected displacement of said lock rack, said lock rack and said drive end of said locking rod being engagable with each other such that displacement of said locking rod effects displacement of said locking rod along said respective slide path to effect locking and unlocking of said door, said drive end of said locking rod and said respective lock rack including cooperating engagement portions which are inter-fitted with each other by displacement of said drive end transverse to said drive path; anda lock mechanism cover which is releasably fixed to said door so as to overlie said lock mechanism, said cover including a rod guide for said locking rod which fits over said locking rod and prevents transverse displacement of said locking rod thereby prevents disengagement of said locking rod from said respective lock rack, said rod guide permitting longitudinal sliding of said locking rod when driven by said lock rack.

2. The door assembly according to claim 1, wherein said cover is snap fittingly engaged to said door.

3. The door assembly according to claim 2, wherein said cover snap lockingly engages an edge of said window within said door.

4. The door assembly according to claim 1, wherein said lock rack includes a sideward opening slot in which said drive end of said locking rod is received in said transverse direction.

5. The door assembly according to claim 4, wherein said drive end includes a grooved portion which receives the edges of said slot of said locking rack therein.

6. The door assembly according to claim 1, wherein transverse disengagement of said locking rod from said lock rack is solely prevented by said cover.

7. A method of assembling a lock assembly to a door wherein said door comprises an outer panel and an inner liner which is mountable to said outer panel, said method comprising the steps of: providing said inner liner separate from said outer panel;providing a lock mechanism having a lock housing and a clamp member supported by said lock housing;clamping said lock assembly to said inner liner in an initial position;affixing said inner liner to said outer panel to define a door assembly wherein said lock assembly is aligned with a corresponding lock aperture in said outer panel such that said lock mechanism is positioned adjacent the lock aperture by the respective positioning of said inner liner.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of initially clamping said lock mechanism to said inner liner in a preliminary condition wherein said lock mechanism is movable on said inner liner, inserting an alignment member through said lock aperture of said outer panel when said inner panel and said outer panel are affixed together, positioning said alignment member and said lock mechanism to displace said lock mechanism to a desired position, and finally clamping said clamp assembly to said inner liner in a stationery position.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of providing fasteners between a lock housing of said lock mechanism and a clamping member wherein the method further comprises the step of finally tightening said fasteners to affix said lock mechanism in a stationery position on said inner liner after said inner liner is affixed to said outer panel.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said lock assembly is finally positioned after said inner liner is affixed to said outer liner and after said final positioning, said lock mechanism is affixed in a stationery position.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein said door includes slidable locking rods which are drivingly engaged to said lock mechanism to effect locking and unlocking of said door by operation of said lock mechanism, said method further comprising the step of attaching drive ends of said locking rods to said lock mechanism after said inner liner is affixed to said outer panel.

12. A lock mechanism for a door comprising: a lock housing adapted to receive a lock plug therein to drivingly rotate a cam member;at least one lock rack slidably supported on said lock housing so as to be movable linearly along a drive path, said lock rack being engaged with said rotatable cam such that rotation of said cam effects linear displacement of said lock rack, said lock rack including a transverse slot which opens sidewardly transverse to said drive path;a locking rod slidably supported on a door, said locking rod having a drive end adjacent said lock mechanism which slidably inserts into said transverse slot of said lock rock such that movement of said lock rack along said drive path effects displacement of said locking rod; anda clamp member releasably mounted to said lock housing which is engageable with fasteners to clampingly mount said lock housing to a thin door panel.

13. The lock mechanism according to claim 12, wherein said lock plug is accessible from a forward side of said lock mechanism and said clamp member is engaged to said lock housing by fasteners which are accessible from a rear of said lock housing.

14. The lock mechanism according to claim 13, wherein said clamp member has a relatively narrow shape which permits insertion into an elongated slot on a door panel and rotation to a clamping position for subsequent clamping by said fasteners.

15. The lock mechanism according to claim 12, wherein said lock rack has an upstanding flange and an end thereof which defines said engagement slot.

16. The lock assembly according to claim 15, which further includes a guide cover, said guide cover including guides which project from a main body thereof for guiding engagement with said locking rod to prevent transverse displacement of said locking rod out of engagement with said locking rod.

17. The lock assembly according to claim 16, wherein said cover includes snap connectors for snap fitting engagement of said cover to a door panel after said lock assembly is clamped in position.

18. The lock assembly according to claim 17, wherein said cover is a molded plastic cover.

19. The lock assembly according to claim 12, wherein said lock plug is removable from a bore defined within said lock housing, said lock mechanism further including an alignment tool which is fittable into said bore in the absence of said lock plug to permit manual positioning of said lock assembly within a door panel for subsequent clamping by said clamp member.

20. The lock member according to claim 19, wherein said alignment tool is removable from said bore to permit insertion of said lock plug after said lock assembly is mounted to said door panel.

21. A cabinet door assembly comprising: an outer door panel defined by a rigid thin skin defining an outer surface of said door and including a lock aperture therein;an inner door member mountable to the interior of said outer panel, said inner member comprising a lock mounting window disposed adjacent said lock aperture;a lock mechanism containing a lock unit alignable with said lock aperture for releasably locking said cabinet, said lock assembly including a lock housing positionable within said lock mounting window and a clamping member movably supported on said lock housing which is adapted to receive said inner member between said lock member and an opposing surface on said lock housing to clampingly engage edge portions of said lock mounting window and fixably secure said lock assembly within said lock window adjacent said lock aperture of said outer panel.

22. The door unit according to claim 21, wherein said inner member comprises an inner liner defined as a thin skin which is mountable to said outer panel in facing relation.

23. The door unit according to claim 22, wherein said lock housing includes a hub in which said lock unit is mounted, said hub having an outer hub surface and said clamping member being a ring which is mountable in surrounding relation to said hub.

24. The door unit according to claim 23, wherein said lock assembly includes engagement members engagable between said lock housing and said clamping member to draw said lock housing and said clamping member together to thereby clampingly engage said window edges.