Patent Application
20150240526
The present invention generally relates to a lock assembly, and more particularly, but not exclusively to displaying a status indicator of the lock assembly.
Lock assemblies are used to lock movable structural members such as doors, lids and the like to prevent movement from fixed structural members. Many types of lock assemblies do not display a visual indicator as to whether the lock assembly is in a locked or unlocked configuration. Some existing lock assemblies have a status indicator, but have various shortcomings relative to certain applications. Accordingly, there remains a need for further contributions in this area of technology.
One embodiment of the present invention is a unique lock status indicator for a lock assembly. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for an electronic lock. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application shall become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications in the described embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the invention as described herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.
Referring to
In this illustrative embodiment a pair of fasteners 62 is shown on the front face 18 of the escutcheon plate 16. These fasteners 62 can be used to fasten the escutcheon assembly 10 to a door or other movable structure (not shown) as is known to those skilled in the art. In other embodiments more or less fasteners may be used to fasten the escutcheon assembly 10. Also, a handle 60 is shown in this exemplary embodiment, however it should be understood that the escutcheon assembly 10 need not have a handle configured as shown in the drawings and in some embodiments may not have a handle at all.
Referring now to
The escutcheon assembly 10 can include a base or reinforcing plate 90 and a movable indicator plate 100 that is slidingly engagable with the base plate 90. The escutcheon plate 16 is constructed to generally cover the indicator plate 100 while allowing a portion with status indicators to be displayed through one or more openings therein. A cam 102 is operably connected to the lock assembly 70 through a drive bar 104. The cam 102 is operable for engaging with the indicator plate 100 and moving the indicator plate between first and second positions as the lock assembly 70 from locked or unlocked orientations. In some alternate forms intermediate mechanical components can be operably coupled between the cam 102 and the indicator plate 100. The drive bar 104 can be connected to the lock assembly 70 through a drive bar receptacle 106 that rotates the drive bar 104 between clockwise and counter-clockwise rotations corresponding to locking and unlocking the lock assemble 70. As shown in one form, the drive bar 104 can have a cross-sectional shape that corresponds to a cross-sectional shape of the drive bar receptacle 106 and a receptacle formed in the cam 102 such that torque can be transmitted therebetween. In other forms the connection between the drive bar 104, the drive receptacle 106 and cam 102 and can include different configurations that require mechanical fasteners such as set screws or the like.
Referring now to
The cam 102 can include a pivot shaft 130 that can extend through an aperture 132 formed in the reinforcement or base plate 90 and pivot about an axis 133. The pivot shaft 130 can be connected with the drive bar 104 so as to receive an actuation torque from the drive bar receptacle 106. A cam lobe 103 can be positioned proximate one end of the pivot shaft 130 and formed with a desired size and shape. In one form the cam 102 can include working portion or pin 134 extending transverse from the cam lobe 103. The pin 134 can directly engage with a cam follower profile 140 that is connected to the indicator plate 100. In other forms the cam lobe 103 can directly engage the cam follower profile 140 to drive the indicator plate 100.
The indicator plate 100 includes a front face 142 and first and second sidewalls 144, 146 extending therefrom. The first and second sidewalls 144, 146 can act at least partially as a guide for the indicator plate 100 to slidingly engage along a portion of the base plate 90. A pair of extensions 148a, 148b can be integrally formed or connected via mechanical fastening means from the first and second sidewalls 144, 146 to house the cam follower profile 140. A separate cam follower profile 140 can be formed in conjunction with each sidewall 144, 146 of the indicator plate 100 so that the escutcheon assembly 10 can be used with doors that have either left-handed or right-handed openings. The cam 102 will move the indicator plate 100 in one direction in response to a counterclockwise rotation and move the indicator plate 100 in the other direction in response to a clockwise direction. The indicator plate 100 will move in opposite directions in response to rotation of the cam 102 when the cam 102 is engaged with the opposing cam follower profile 140. For example, if the cam 102 is engaged with the cam follower profile 140 associated with extension 148b of sidewall 146, the indicator plate 100 will move upward in response to a counter-clockwise movement of the cam 102 and downward in response to a clockwise movement of the cam 102. When the cam 102 is engaged with the opposing follower 140 associated with the other sidewall 144, the indicator plate will move upward in response to a clockwise cam rotation and downward in response to a counter-clockwise cam rotation.
The base plate 90 is configured to provide support structure for the escutcheon plate assembly 10 and in one form can be attached directly to a door or other such structure. The base plate 90 can include a first sidewall 160 and a second sidewall 162 to act as a guide and otherwise support the moveable indicator plate 100. The first and second sidewalls 160, 162 can correspond with the sidewalls 144 and 146 of the indicator plate 100. While not shown in detail, it should be understood by one skilled in the mechanical arts that various features to enable sliding connection between the movable indicator plate 100 and the fixed base plate 90 can be employed to the advantage of this concept and remain within the scope of this disclosure. Such features can include, but are not limited to tongue and groove connections, clips, or other mechanical members.
A lower abutment 164 and an upper abutment 166 can formed on the base plate 90 to function as a lower and an upper bounds for the indicator plate 100 to slidingly move therebetween. It should be understood that the total travel distance of the indicator plate 100 is a function of the distance of the pivot axis from the working portion 134 in combination with the cam follower profile 140. As such the indicator plate may or may not actually come into contact with the upper and lower abutments 166, 164 during operation.
Turning now to
In one form the three lobed cam follower profile 140 operates to deadlock the indicator plate 100 such that the indicator plate 100 cannot be moved without first pivoting or rotating the cam 102 to cause the pin 134 to move out of engagement with the first or third lobes 171, 175 and into engagement with the intermediate lobe 173. The deadlocking feature works to prevent someone from using external force on the indicator plate 100 to move the indicator plate 100 between the locked and unlocked positions without using a key or proper electronic authentication for electronic locks. As the indicator plate 100 is mechanically coupled through the cam 102 to the lock mechanism (not described in detail), the lock mechanism could be unlocked (or locked) if the indicator plate 100 were independently moveable with an external force. With the three lobed cam follower profile 140, an external sliding force exerted on the indicator plate 100 will merely cause the pin 134 of the cam 102 to move toward or engage with more contact force the outermost perimeter of the first or third lobes 171, 175 depending on the lock status position. Because the first and third lobes 171, 175 are generally aligned in the direction of travel of the indicator plate 100, the indicator plate 100 cannot move in a linear direction without the pin 134 initially being rotated or pivoted into the intermediate lobe 173 of the cam follower profile. In this manner, the deadlock three lobe cam follower profile 140 prevents tampering and/or bypassing the lock by eliminating the ability of someone to simply force the indicator plate 100 to slide between first and second positions corresponding to a locked and an unlocked configuration respectively.
It should be understood that the three lobed clover shaped pattern is only one non-limiting embodiment and other cam follower profile configurations can be used and are contemplated by the present disclosure. Also, once again it should be noted that if the cam 102 is engaged with the opposing cam follower profile 140 associated with sidewall 144, the direction of movement for the indicator plate 100 would be in the opposite direction to that shown in the illustrated configurations of
In operation the status indicator displayed by the escutcheon assembly is controlled by a key or thumb turn lever. When a key or thumb turn lever locks or unlocks the lock assembly, various internal components are moved and or actuated within the lock assembly. The internal components are not shown in the drawings, but are operably connected to the drive bar receptacle that is rotated in either in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction depending on the design of the particular lock assembly. The drive bar is connected with and extends between the drive bar receptacle and the cam so that when the lock is moved from a locked or unlocked position, the cam will rotate in a predetermined direction. The rotation of the cam in turn causes the indicator plate to move between first and second positions and in the exemplary embodiment between the upper and lower abutments of the base plate. In this manner the status indicators will move relative to the windows such that the correct status indicator is positioned to be displayed through the front and side windows of the escutcheon plate. The escutcheon assembly is configured such that the status indicator is visible through the front face window and from each of the opposing side windows formed in the escutcheon plate. In this manner a person that is approaching the escutcheon assembly from any angle can visually see whether or not the lock is in a locked orientation or an unlocked orientation. The status indicator is visible through a 180° angle so that one can quickly determine whether the door is locked or not without having to move to a front facing angle or actually trying to physically open the door.
It should be understood that the escutcheon assembly illustrated in the drawings is exemplary in nature and not limiting, as such many different shapes, sizes or orientations of the escutcheon assembly are contemplated for purposes of this patent application. For example, the escutcheon assembly, can be positioned to operate vertically, horizontally or in any desired position therebetween.
It should be further noted that the escutcheon assembly and lock assembly can be designed for many different purposes such as doors on buildings, bathroom stalls, lockers, freezers, refrigerators, safes, utility vehicle bays, tool boxes or other movable structures that can be advantageously locked with the apparatus defined by the present disclosure. As such, different materials can be used as desired for different applications. For example, metals, plastics, composites, as well as surface coatings and lubrication can be used in various forms.
Also, the status indicators can include any visible descriptor desired to enhance visibility. For example, different color schemes can be utilized with or without additional words, phrases and/or symbols. Additionally material that “glows in the dark” may also be used in some applications. In this exemplary disclosure, a closed padlock symbol and an open padlock symbol is depicted, but other symbols can be used as desired.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the inventions are desired to be protected. It should be understood that while the use of words such as preferable, preferably, preferred or more preferred utilized in the description above indicate that the feature so described may be more desirable, it nonetheless may not be necessary and embodiments lacking the same may be contemplated as within the scope of the invention, the scope being defined by the claims that follow. In reading the claims, it is intended that when words such as “a,” “an,” “at least one,” or “at least one portion” are used there is no intention to limit the claim to only one item unless specifically stated to the contrary in the claim. When the language “at least a portion” and/or “a portion” is used the item can include a portion and/or the entire item unless specifically stated to the contrary.
Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
