Safety and anti-theft door lock assembly

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6623050
  • Patent Number
    6,623,050
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, June 5, 2002
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, September 23, 2003
    21 years ago
Abstract
A door lock device includes a striker plate for engaging with a latch of a base, and a pawl pivotally secured to the latch and having a tongue biased to lock the latch to the base, to prevent the latch from being rotated relative to the base. A beam is engageable with the pawl for preventing the pawl from moving out of the latch. A bar is biased to engage with the pawl. A catch is pivotally supported on the base has two recesses for selectively receiving the bar in a lower and an upper position. A lever is pivotally secured to the base and has one end for moving the pawl into the latch.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to a door lock assembly, and more particularly to a door lock assembly having a safety and anti-theft structure.




2. Description of the Prior Art




Various kinds of typical door lock assemblies have been developed for anti-theft purposes. However, some of the door locks may also lock the doors for preventing the door from being easily opened from inside of the house buildings. When fires happened, the users may also be locked inside the house building and may not easily escape from the house building.




The other door locks may be easily unlocked by the unauthorized persons by engaging a planer member into the slit formed between the door panel and the door frame or the wall, and by moving or actuating the latch inward of the lock device by the planer member, from outside of the house buildings.




The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional door lock assemblies.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a door lock assembly including a safety and anti-theft structure for preventing the door from being opened from outside, and for allowing the door to be easily opened from inside of the house building.




In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a door lock assembly for a door panel, the door lock assembly comprising a striker plate including a cavity formed therein, a base, a latch rotatably supported on the base with a pivot shaft, and including a front portion extendible outward of the base and engageable into the cavity of the striker plate, for locking the door panel, and a locking device provided for locking the latch to the base, to prevent the latch from being rotated relative to the base.




The base includes a fence extended therefrom and having an opening for rotatably receiving the latch. The latch includes a chamber for receiving a pawl of the locking device which has a first end pivotally secured to the latch with an axle and which has a second end, and a tongue provided on the second end of the pawl, and a biasing device provided for biasing the tongue of the pawl to engage with the base and to lock the latch to the base.




The latch includes a first end having a notch formed by two ears, for receiving the first end of the pawl, the axle is engaged through the first end of the pawl and the ears of the latch. The base includes a bulge for engaging with the tongue and for locking the latch to the base.




A limiting device is further provided for limiting the pawl to move relative to the latch, and includes a beam engaged through the chamber of the latch, and engageable with the pawl, for preventing the pawl from moving out of the chamber of the latch.




A disengaging device is further provided for disengaging the tongue of the pawl from the base, and includes a spring for biasing the tongue of the pawl away from the base.




The disengaging device includes a bar having a first end pivotally secured to the base, and having a second end engaged with the pawl, the spring is engaged between the second end of the bar and the base.




A limiting device is further provided for limiting a movement of the bar relative to the base and includes a catch pivotally supported on the base, and having a pair of recesses formed therein for selectively receiving the bar.




The bar is retained in a lower position when the bar is received in a first of the recesses of the catch, and in a higher position when the bar is received if a second of the recesses of the catch.




The disengaging device includes a lever pivotally secured to the base with a rod, and having a first end engaged with the pawl for moving the pawl inward the chamber of the latch. The lever includes a second end having a hand grip for rotating the lever and for forcing the first end of the lever to move the pawl inward the chamber of the latch.




The disengaging device includes a forcing device provided for forcing the first end of the lever to move the pawl inward the chamber of the latch, and having an actuator rotatably supported in the base and having at least one actuating surface formed therein and engaged with the first end of the lever.











Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.




BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIGS. 1

,


2


are partial perspective views illustrating the attachment of a door lock assembly in accordance with the present invention onto the door of a house building;





FIG. 3

is a partial exploded view of the door lock assembly;





FIG. 4

is an exploded view of the door lock assembly;





FIG. 5

is a partial perspective view of the door lock assembly, in which the cover has been removed from the door lock assembly;





FIGS. 6

,


7


are partial perspective views similar to

FIG. 5

, illustrating the operation of the door lock assembly;





FIG. 8

is a partial perspective view of the door lock assembly;





FIGS. 9

,


10


are side schematic views illustrating the operation of the door lock assembly; and





FIGS. 11

,


12


are schematic views illustrating the operation of the door lock assembly.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to the drawings, and initially to

FIGS. 1-3

, a door lock assembly in accordance with the present invention is generally indicated with a reference numeral “10” and is to be attached onto a door panel


90


, and comprises a striker plate


91


attached onto a door frame or a wall


92


and including one or more cavities


93


formed therein, for locking the door panel


90


to the door frame or the wall


92


, and for preventing the door panel


90


from being opened from outside by the unauthorized persons, and for allowing the door panel


90


to be easily opened from inside the house building.




As shown in

FIGS. 3-10

, the door lock assembly


10


includes a base


11


having one or more holes


12


formed therein for receiving fasteners (not shown) which may secure the base


11


onto the door panel


90


. The base


11


includes an orifice


13


formed in the middle portion thereof, and includes a fence


14


extended upward from the front portion thereof. The fence


14


includes an opening


15


and a channel


16


formed therein. The base


11


includes a bulge


17


extended upward and inward or into the opening


15


of the fence


14


for forming or defining a shoulder


18


in front of the bulge


17


. A pivot shaft


19


is secured in the fence


14


and engaged through the opening


15


and the channel


16


of the fence


14


.




The base


11


includes a seat


20


extended rearward therefrom and having a space


21


formed therein. A rod


22


is secured in the seat


20


and engaged or extended through the space


21


of the seat


20


. A lever


23


includes a hand grip


24


formed on one end thereof, and includes a middle portion received in the space


21


of the seat


20


, and includes a hole


25


formed in the middle portion thereof for receiving the rod


22


, and for pivotally securing the middle portion of the lever


23


to the seat


20


of the base


11


. The lever


23


includes the other end


26


located above the orifice


13


of the base


11


. The base


11


includes a pin


27


provided therein, and an aperture


28


formed in the fence


14


.




A latch


30


is received in the opening


15


of the fence


14


, and includes a hole


31


formed in the middle portion thereof for receiving the shaft


19


, and for allowing the latch


30


to be rotatably or pivotally secured to the fence


14


of the base


11


. A tubular member or a sleeve


32


may further be provided and engaged between the shaft


19


and the latch


30


, for allowing the latch .


30


to be smoothly rotated relative to the base


11


or the fence


14


about the shaft


19


. A post


34


has one end secured to a rear portion


33


of the latch


30


, and located behind the shaft


19


.




A spring


35


has one end coupled to the post


34


, and the other end coupled to a pole


36


which is secured to the fence


14


or to the base


11


, for biasing or forcing the front portion


39


of the latch


30


to engage into the cavity


93


of the striker plate


91


, and thus for latching or securing the door panel


90


to the door frame or the wall


92


. The latch


30


includes a chamber


301


formed therein (

FIGS. 9

,


10


), and includes a notch


37


formed in the rear portion thereof, and formed or defined by or between a pair of ears


38


.




A pawl


40


is received in the chamber


301


of the latch


30


, and has one end


41


received in the notch


37


and located between the ears


38


of the latch


30


, and pivotally or rotatably secured to the latch


30


with an axle


47


, and includes a tongue


42


bent or formed or extended from the other end thereof for engaging with the shoulder


18


or the bulge


17


of the base


11


. As best shown in

FIGS. 6 and 9

, when the tongue


42


of the pawl


40


is engaged with the shoulder


18


or the bulge


17


of the base


11


, the pawl


40


and the latch


30


are arranged for preventing the front portion


39


of the latch


30


from being depressed toward or inward or into the opening


15


of the fence


14


or of the base


11


, and thus for locking the latch


30


to the base


11


.




The pawl


40


includes a depression


43


formed in the middle portion thereof for receiving one end of a spring


44


which has the other end engaged with the latch


30


(

FIGS. 9

,


10


) for biasing and forcing the tongue


42


of the pawl


40


to engage. with the shoulder


18


or the bulge


17


of the base


11


. The pawl


40


includes an extension


45


laterally extended therefrom. A beam


46


is engaged through the chamber


301


of the latch


30


, for engaging with the pawl


40


, and for preventing the pawl


40


from being disengaged or moved out of the chamber


301


of the latch


30


. The beam


46


thus forms a limiting device or means for limiting the movement of the pawl


40


relative to the latch


30


, or for preventing the pawl


40


from being disengaged from the chamber


301


of the latch


30


.




A catch


60


is further provided, and is received in the channel


16


of the fence


14


or of the base


11


, and includes a middle or upper portion having a hole


61


formed therein for receiving the shaft


19


and for rotatably or pivotally securing the catch


60


to the fence


14


of the base


11


. A sleeve


62


may further be provided and engaged between the shaft


19


and the catch


60


, for allowing the catch


60


to be smoothly rotated relative to the base


11


or the fence


14


about the shaft


19


. The catch


60


also includes a front end or portion


69


extendible outward of the channel


16


of the fence


14


or extendible outward of the base


11


.




The striker plate


91


includes a jut


94


for engaging with the front end or portion


69


of the catch


60


, and for moving the front portion


69


of the catch


60


inward of the channel


16


of the fence


14


or inward of the base


11


(FIG.


6


).




Another post


64


is secured to a rear portion


65


of the catch


60


, and also located behind the shaft


19


. A spring


63


has one end coupled to the post


64


, and the other end coupled to the pin


27


which may be secured to the fence


14


or to the base


11


, for biasing or forcing the front portion


69


of the catch


60


out of the channel


16


of the fence


14


, or for biasing the front portion


69


of the catch


60


to engage with the jut


94


of the striker plate


91


. The catch


60


includes two recesses


66


,


67


formed in the front and the rear portions thereof, and includes a curved guide surface


68


formed between the recesses


66


,


67


thereof.




A bar


70


has one end


71


pivotally or rotatably secured to the fence


14


or to the base


11


with a pivot pin


72


which may, for example, be engaged through the aperture


28


of the fence


14


. The bar


70


includes a middle portion engaged with the guide surface


68


of the catch


60


, and a stud


74


extended from the other end


73


thereof. A spring


77


has one end engaged onto the stud


74


, and the other end engaged into a cavity


29


of the base


11


(FIG.


4


), for biasing the bar


70


to engage into either of the recesses


66


,


67


of the catch


60


(FIGS.


5


-


7


), and thus for retaining or positioning the tongue


42


of the pawl


40


in engagement with or disengaging from the shoulder


18


or the bulge


17


of the base


11


. The other end


73


of the. bar


70


is engaged with the extension


45


of the pawl


40


for allowing the pawl


40


to be moved inward of the chamber


301


of the latch


30


by the bar


70


and the spring


77


.




The recesses


66


,


67


of the catch


60


are arranged for receiving and maintaining the bar


70


and thus the pawl


40


in the lower position and in the higher position respectively. For example, as shown in

FIGS. 5

,


6


, when the front portion


69


of the catch


60


is pushed or forced inward of the channel


16


of the fence


14


or inward of the base


11


, by the jut


94


of the striker plate


91


, the bar


70


may be forced to move into the recess


66


by the guide surface


68


of the catch


60


, and may be lowered and maintained in the lower position.




When the bar


70


is retained in the recess


66


of the catch


60


and maintained in the lower position, the tongue


42


of the pawl


40


may be biased to engage with the shoulder


18


or the bulge


17


of the base


11


(FIG.


9


), and thus to lock the latch


30


to the striker plate


91


, by the spring


44


and/or by the spring


35


, such that the spring


44


and/or the spring


35


may form the spring biasing device or means for biasing or forcing the pawl


40


or the tongue


42


to engage with the shoulder


18


or the bulge


17


of the base


11


.




At this moment, or when the tongue


42


of the pawl


40


is biased to engage with the shoulder


18


or the bulge


17


of the base


11


, the latch


30


may be locked to the base


11


and may be prevented from rotating relative to the base


11


by the pawl


40


, such that the front portion


39


of the latch


30


may be prevented from being depressed toward or inward or into the opening


15


of the fence


14


or of the base


11


. For example, when any unauthorized person engage a planar member into the gap formed between the striker plate


91


and the base


11


, or formed between the door


90


and the door frame or the wall


92


, and try to prize open the latch


30


, the latch


30


may be locked by the pawl


40


and may not be opened from outside of the door.




It is to be noted that the pawl


40


and/or the bar


70


may thus form a locking device or means for locking the latch


30


to the base


11


(FIG.


9


), and for preventing the latch


30


from being prized or opened from outside of the door


90


. The catch


60


may form a device or a means for limiting the bar


70


and thus the pawl


40


to move relative to the base


11


or relative to the latch


30


.




As shown in

FIGS. 3

,


7


, when the front portion


69


of the catch


60


is biased or forced outward of the channel


16


of the fence


14


or of the base


11


, by the spring


63


, the bar


70


may be forced to move into the other recess


67


by the guide surface


68


of the catch


60


, and may be elevated and maintained in the higher position, such that the tongue


42


of the pawl


40


may be elevated and disengaged from the shoulder


18


or the bulge


17


of the base


11


(FIG.


10


), and such that the latch


30


may no longer be locked to the striker plate


91


, and such that the front portion


39


of the latch


30


may be depressed toward or inward or into the opening


15


of the fence


14


or of the base


11


at this moment. The bar


70


and the spring


77


and/or the lever


23


may thus form a device or a means for selectively disengaging the tongue


42


of the pawl


40


from the bulge


17


of the base


11


.




As shown in

FIGS. 9

,


10


, when the hand grip


24


of the lever


23


is depressed toward the base


11


, the other end


26


of the lever


23


may be moved away from the base


11


and may be engaged with the pawl


40


and may actuate or force the tongue


42


of the pawl


40


to be disengaged from the shoulder


18


or the bulge


17


of the base


11


, in order to release or to unlock the latch


30


from the base


11


, and for allowing the front portion


39


of the latch


30


to be depressed toward or inward or into the opening


15


of the fence


14


or of the base


11


.




As shown in

FIGS. 1 and 2

, the door panel


90


may include a receptacle


97


formed or attached thereto for receiving the lever


23


therein, and may include a slidable or movable presser


98


slidably attached to the receptacle


97


and engageable with the hand grip


24


of the lever


23


, for depressing the hand grip


24


to move the other end


26


to disengage the tongue


42


of the pawl


40


from the shoulder


18


or the bulge


17


of the base


11


, and thus to unlock the latch


30


from the base


11


, for allowing the latch


30


to be rotated relative to the base


11


about the shaft


19


.




An actuator


80


includes a barrel


81


extended downward therefrom and rotatably engaged in the orifice


13


of the base


11


and rotatably secured to the base


11


with a clamping or retaining ring


82


, and includes one or more, such as two swellings


83


extended upward therefrom and each having an inclined actuating surface


84


formed thereon for engaging with the other end


26


of the lever


23


, and for forcing the other end


26


of the lever


23


to disengage the tongue


42


of the pawl


40


from the shoulder


18


or the bulge


17


of the base


11


, when the actuator


80


is rotated relative to the base


11


.




As shown in

FIGS. 11 and 12

, a pole


85


is engaged through the door panel


90


and has one end secured in the barrel


81


of the actuator


80


, and the other end extended outwardly of the door panel


90


and secured to a handle


86


which may be rotated relative to the door panel


90


when a typical lock member is unlocked by a correct key (not shown). The actuator


80


may thus be rotated by the handle


86


to actuate the other end


26


of the lever


23


to unlock the pawl


40


and the latch


30


from the base


11


, when the handle


86


is unlocked by the correct key. A cover


87


may be secured onto the base


11


for shielding the actuator


80


, and includes one or more apertures


88


formed therein for receiving the catch


60


and the latch


30


respectively.




The actuator


80


may also be directly engaged with the pawl


40


in order to unlock the tongue


42


of the pawl


40


from the shoulder


18


or the bulge


17


of the base


11


, instead of via the other end


26


of the lever


23


. The actuator


80


and/or the lever


23


may thus form an unlocking device or means for moving the pawl


40


inward the chamber


301


of the latch


30


, or for unlocking the pawl


40


from the base


11


, or for disengaging the tongue


42


from the shoulder


18


or the bulge


17


of the base


11


.




In operation, as shown in

FIGS. 1

,


6


, the tongue


42


of the pawl


40


may be biased to engage with the shoulder


18


or the bulge


17


of the base


11


(FIG.


9


), in order to lock the latch


30


to the striker plate


91


, when the door panel


90


is closed and when the front portion


69


of the catch


60


is pushed or forced inward of the channel


16


of the fence


14


or inward of the base


11


, by the jut


94


of the striker plate


91


, and when the bar


70


is forced to move into the recess


66


by the guide surface


68


of the catch


60


and when the bar


70


is maintained in the lower position. The latch


30


may thus be locked to the base


11


and may be prevented from being prized from outside of the door.




The pawl


40


may be moved inward the chamber


301


of the latch


30


, and the tongue


42


of the pawl


40


may be disengaged from the shoulder


18


or the bulge


17


of the base


11


, in order to unlock the latch


30


from the striker plate


91


, by depressing the hand grip


24


or by rotating the lever


23


to force the other end


26


of the lever


23


to move the pawl


40


inward the latch


30


, or by rotating the actuator


80


by the handle


86


. The door panel


90


may thus be easily opened by depressing the hand grip


24


of the lever


23


or by depressing the presser


98


, from inside of the door panel


90


.




Accordingly, the door lock assembly in accordance with the present invention includes a safety and anti-theft structure, for preventing the door from being opened from outside of the door, and for allowing the door to be easily opened from inside of the house building.




Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.



Claims
  • 1. A door lock assembly for a door panel, said door lock assembly comprising:a striker plate including a cavity formed therein, a base, a latch rotatably supported on said base with a pivot shaft, and including a front portion extendible outward of said base and engageable into said cavity of said striker plate, for locking the door panel, said latch including a chamber formed therein, and means for locking said latch to said base, to prevent said latch from being rotated relative to said base, said locking means including a pawl received in said chamber of said latch and having a first end pivotally secured to said latch with an axle and having a second end, and a tongue provided on said second end of said pawl, and means for biasing said tongue of said pawl to engage with said base and to lock said latch to said base.
  • 2. The door lock assembly according to claim 1, wherein said base includes a fence extended therefrom and having an opening formed therein for rotatably receiving said latch.
  • 3. The door lock assembly according to claim 1, wherein said latch includes a first end having a notch formed therein and formed by two ears, for receiving said first end of said pawl, said axle is engaged through said first end of said pawl and said ears of said latch.
  • 4. The door lock assembly according to claim 1, wherein said base includes a bulge extended therefrom for engaging with said tongue and for locking said latch to said base.
  • 5. The door lock assembly according to claim 1 further comprising means for limiting said pawl to move relative to said latch.
  • 6. The door lock assembly according to claim 5, wherein said limiting means includes a beam engaged through said chamber of said latch, and engageable with said pawl, for preventing said pawl from moving out of said chamber of said latch.
  • 7. The door lock assembly according to claim 1 further comprising means for disengaging said tongue of said pawl from said base.
  • 8. The door lock assembly according to claim 7, wherein said disengaging means includes a spring for biasing said tongue of said pawl away from said base.
  • 9. The door lock assembly according to claim 8, wherein said disengaging means includes a bar having a first end pivotally secured to said base, and having a second end engaged with said pawl, said spring is engaged between said second end of said bar and said base.
  • 10. The door lock assembly according to claim 7, wherein said disengaging means includes a bar engaged with said pawl, and means for biasing said bar to force said tongue of said pawl away from said base.
  • 11. The door lock assembly according to claim 10 further comprising means for limiting a movement of said bar relative to said base.
  • 12. The door lock assembly according to claim 11, wherein said limiting means includes a catch pivotally supported on said base, and having a pair of recesses formed therein for selectively receiving said bar.
  • 13. The door lock assembly according to claim 12, wherein said bar is retained in a lower position when said bar is received in a first of said recesses of said catch, and in a higher position when said bar is received in a second of said recesses of said catch.
  • 14. The door lock assembly according to claim 7, wherein said disengaging means includes a lever pivotally secured to said base with a rod, and having a first end engaged with said pawl for moving said pawl inward said chamber of said latch.
  • 15. The door lock assembly according to claim 14, wherein said lever includes a second end having a hand grip for rotating said lever and for forcing said first end of said lever to move said pawl inward said chamber of said latch.
  • 16. The door lock assembly according to claim 7, wherein said disengaging means includes means for forcing said first end of said lever to move said pawl inward said chamber of said latch.
  • 17. The door lock assembly according to claim 16, wherein said forcing means includes an actuator rotatably supported in said base and having at least one actuating surface formed therein and engaged with said first end of said lever.
  • 18. The door lock assembly according to claim 17, wherein said actuator includes at least one swelling extended therefrom and having said at least one actuating surface formed therein for engaging with said first end of said lever.
US Referenced Citations (10)
Number Name Date Kind
3614145 Zawadzki Oct 1971 A
3877262 Williams Apr 1975 A
4709950 Zortman Dec 1987 A
4796931 Heid Jan 1989 A
5219385 Yeh Jun 1993 A
5464259 Cohrs Nov 1995 A
5605362 Surko Feb 1997 A
6009732 Haeck Jan 2000 A
6032985 Cutter Mar 2000 A
6048000 Geringer Apr 2000 A