The present invention relates to a lock assembly.
The invention has been developed primarily for use with an electrically controllable and electrically powered mortice lock and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular use is also suitable for use in other types of locks, such as surface mounted locks.
Electrically controllable and/or electrically powered locks are known. A disadvantage of such locks is they can not be used to lock and unlock a door when required until door control and/or monitoring electrics are installed and fully operational. Accordingly, to provide security and access control, it is common to install a second manual lock, or post a guard, until this occurs. Such measures are both inconvenient and incur cost.
Further, such locks must also be set to operate as either fail safe or fail secure. A fail safe lock automatically reverts to an unlocked state when its power supply is interrupted, for example during a power failure or a break-in attempt. A fail secure lock automatically reverts to a locked state when its power supply is interrupted. However, a fail safe or fail secure setting is not always appropriate for all uses of the lock. As an example, a disadavantage of such a lock set to fail safe is it does not allow a door to be locked whilst the door control and/or monitoring electrics are not yet installed or fully operational. Another disadvantage of such locks is that security and access control can be lost when the control of the lock, which can be located remotely, has been compromised.
It is the object of the present invention to substantially overcome or at least ameliorate the above disadvantages.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a lock assembly including:
a lock bolt movable between a latching position and an unlatching position;
a first hub adapted to move the lock bolt in response to movement of a first handle;
a first electrically powered hub locker assembly positionable to selectively prevent or allow movement of the lock bolt in response to torque being applied to the first handle, the first electrically powered hub locker assembly configurable for fail safe operation; and
a manually driven hub locker assembly positionable to selectively prevent or allow movement of the lock bolt in response to torque being applied to the first handle.
The first electrically powered hub locker assembly and the manually driven hub locker assembly are preferably positionable independently of one another.
In one form, the first electrically powered hub locker and the manually driven hub locker assembly share some common componentry. In another form, the first electrically powered hub locker and the manually driven hub locker assembly share no common componentry.
The first electrically powered hub locker assembly is preferably also configurable for fail secure operation.
The manually driven hub locker assembly is preferably driven by a key or a turn button.
The lock assembly preferably includes a housing, and the lock bolt, the first hub, the first electrically powered hub locker assembly and the manually driven hub locker assembly are mounted in the housing.
The first hub preferably includes:
a first part, adapted to engage with, or abut, the first electrically powered hub locker assembly so as to prevent movement of the lock bolt in response to torque being applied to the first handle; and
a second part, adapted to engage with, or abut, the manually driven hub locker assembly so as to prevent movement of the lock bolt in response to torque being applied to the first handle.
The manually driven hub locker assembly is preferably adapted for selective removal of a power and/or control signal to the first electrically powered hub locker assembly.
The lock assembly preferably includes a first controller between a power and for control signal supply and the first electrically powered hub locker assembly, wherein the manually driven hub locker assembly is adapted for altering the first controller from a first configuration, allowing power and/or control signals to be transmitted from the power and/or control signal supply to the first electrically powered hub locker assembly, to a second configuration preventing power and/or control signals from being transmitted from the power and/or control signal supply to the first electrically powered hub locker assembly.
The lock assembly preferably includes a first switch between a power and for control signal supply and the first electrically powered hub locker assembly, wherein the first switch is manually settable in a first configuration, allowing power and/or control signals to be transmitted from the power and/or control signal supply to the first electrically powered hub locker assembly, or in a second configuration preventing power and/or control signals from being transmitted from the power and/or control signal supply to the first electrically powered hub locker assembly.
The lock assembly preferably also includes:
a second hub adapted to move the lock bolt in response to movement of a second handle; and
a second electrically powered hub locker assembly positionable to selectively prevent or allow movement of the lock bolt in response to torque being applied to the second handle, the second electrically powered hub locker assembly configurable for fail safe operation,
wherein the manually driven hub locker assembly is positionable to selectively prevent or allow movement of the lock bolt in response to torque being applied to the second handle and the second electrically powered hub locker assembly and the manually driven hub locker assembly are operable independently of one another.
In one form, the manually driven hub locker assembly includes a locking bar adapted for operative interaction with both the first hub and the second hub. In another form, the manually driven hub locker assembly includes a first locking bar and a second locking bar, each adapted for operative interaction with the first hub and the second hub respectively.
The second electrically powered hub locker assembly is preferably also configurable for fail secure operation.
The second hub and the second electrically powered hub locker assembly are preferably also mounted in the housing.
The second hub preferably includes:
a first part, adapted to engage with, or abut, the second electrically powered hub locker assembly so as to prevent movement of the lock bolt in response to torque being applied to the second handle; and
a second part, adapted to engage with, or abut, the manually driven hub locker assembly so as to prevent movement of the lock bolt in response to torque being applied to the second handle.
The first manually driven hub locker assembly is preferably adapted for selective removal of a power and/or control signal to the second electrically powered hub locker assembly.
The lock assembly preferably includes a second controller between a power and for control signal supply and the second electrically powered hub locker assembly, wherein the manually driven hub locker assembly is adapted for altering the second controller from a first configuration, allowing power and/or control signals to be transmitted from the power and/or control signal supply supply to the second electrically powered hub locker assembly, to a second configuration preventing power and/or control signals from being transmitted from the power and/or control signal supply supply to the second electrically powered hub locker assembly.
The lock assembly preferably includes a second switch between a power and/or control signal supply and the second electrically powered hub locker assembly, wherein the second switch is manually settable in a first configuration, allowing power and/or control signals to be transmitted from the power and/or control signal supply to the second electrically powered hub locker assembly, or in a second configuration preventing power and/or control signals from being transmitted from the power and/or control signal supply to the second electrically powered hub locker assembly.
The lock assembly preferably includes a switch assembly incorporating the first switch and the second switch.
A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of an example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
The lock assembly also includes an opening 32 that receives a key cylinder assembly 34 (see
The lock assembly 20 also includes a first hub 36 with a square cross section opening 38 therein, which is adapted to engage with a square cross section drive shaft (not shown) of a first external knob lever or other handle (not shown). As shown in
The side cover 24 of the lock assembly also includes a first opening 40, a second opening 42 and a third opening 44. These openings are replicated on the opposite side of the housing 22 to that shown in
A carriage retraction arm 58 is pivotally mounted to the housing 22 at shaft 60 and biased toward the position shown in
Placing a screw 74 in the first motion transfer means 68 in a position corresponding to the opening 42 sets the first electrically powered hub locker assembly to operate as fail safe. When set as fail safe, energising the first solenoid 64 places the first hub locker in a position preventing movement of the bolts 28 and 30 in response to torque being applied to the first handle. De-energising the first solenoid 64 allows the first biasing spring 70 to place the first (electrically powered) hub locker 66 in a position allowing movement of the bolts 28 and 30 in response to torque being applied to the first handle. Placing the screw 74 in the first motion transfer means 68 in a position corresponding to the opening 40 sets the first electrically powered hub locker assembly to operate as fail secure. When set as fail secure, energising the first solenoid 64 places the first (electrically powered) hub locker 66 in a position allowing movement of the bolts 28 and 30 in response to torque being applied to the first handle. De-energising the first solenoid 64 allows the first biasing spring 70 to place the first (electrically powered) hub locker 66 in a position preventing movement of the bolts 28 and 30 in response to torque being applied to the first handle. The second electrically powered hub locker assembly operates in a similar manner to the first electrically powered hub locker assembly.
The operation of the first and second electrically powered hub locker assemblies is also described in Australian patent application No. 2010903161 filed by the Applicant on 15 Jul. 2010, and International PCT patent application No. PCT/AU2011/000745 filed by the Applicant on 20 Jun. 2011, the relevant contents of which are incorporate herein by cross reference.
When the first hub locker 90 is connected to the detent 84a at recess 90b, the locking bar 84 can be driven to position the first (manually driven) hub locker 90 in or out of engagement with the second part 36b of the first hub 36, as will be described in more detail below. When the first (manually driven) hub locker 90 is connected to the detent 84a at recess 90c, the first (manually driven) hub locker 90 will remain out of engagement with the second part 36b of the first hub 36 in all positions of the locking bar 84. A second (manually driven) hub locker (not shown) is similarly connected to the locking bar 84 for similar interaction with the second hub. Accordingly, the manually driven hub locker assembly can be configured to act on none, one or both of the first and second hubs.
The manually driven hub locker assembly is very similar to that described in Australian patent application No. 2009905497 filed by the Applicant on 10 Nov. 2009 and International PCT patent application No. PCT/AU2010/001349 filed by the Applicant on 13 Oct. 2010, the relevant contents of which are incorporated herein by cross reference.
The operation of the lock assembly 20 will now be described.
The positioning of the first electrically powered hub locker assembly and that of the manually driven hub locker assembly are independent of one another. The positioning of the second electrically powered hub locker assembly and that of the manually driven hub locker assembly are also independent of one another. This advantageously allows the lock assembly 20 to be set to operate as fail safe and still be able to be manually locked even when power is not available. This is particularly useful and advantageous during the fitting out of a building where the door control/monitoring electrics are not yet installed or fully operational, as security and access control is provided via the manual method of key locking the door (for example at night) and manual locking and unlocking (for example by a building crew) when working during the day.
The independent positioning of the electrically powered hub locker assemblies and the manually driven hub locker assembly also provides the opportunity to manually lock a lock assembly set to operate as fail secure. This ensures the lock assembly remains locked when power is restored. This is useful and advantageous for establishing manual/key security when control of the electrically powered hub locker assemblies has been compromised. In this connection, it should be appreciated that a control system for a building's locks can be located remotely from the building, including in another country.
As a further advantage, the independently operable electrically powered hub locker assemblies and the manually driven hub locker assembly are both able to fit within a lock housing which is of a sufficiently small size so as to be attractive to purchasers. This avoids the situation of a user having to purchase and install two different locks on a door to achieve the same functionality.
Although the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the invention can be embodied in many other forms. For example, in some installations, the key cylinder is replaced by a turn button. In another embodiment (not shown), the first and second (manually driven) hub lockers are each associated with a respective, independently positionable, first and second locking bars and first and second locking bar drivers. The lock assembly can also include one or more switches between the power and/or control signal supply and the electrically powered hub locker assemblies. Such switches allow none, one or both of the electrically powered hub locker assemblies to be disabled. This is useful and advantageous for establishing manual/key security when control of the electrically powered hub locker assemblies has been compromised.
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PCT/AU2012/000038 | 1/19/2012 | WO | 00 | 7/18/2013 |
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WO2012/097410 | 7/26/2012 | WO | A |
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