Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DOOR LOCK
This invention relates to door locks.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
My U.S. Patent No. 5,280,977, issued January 25, 1994,
describes and claims a door lock with a locking arm which is biased
to a non-locking retracted position.
The present invention provides an alternative to the door
locks described in the above mentioned patent.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, a door lock comprises a base
securable to a door or door frame, and a locking arm pivotally
connected to the base and moveable when the base is secured to the
door or the door frame to a blocking position where the door is
prevented from opening and a retracted position where the locking
arm is retracted from the door locking position. Biasing means
biases the locking arm to the retracted position to facilitate closing
the door when the base is secured to the door or to the door frame.
Locking means are slidably mounted on the base for sliding
movement to a locking position in a direction parallel to the plane
of the door to engage the locking arm and hold the locking arm in
the blocking position against the biasing means when the door is
closed thereby locking the door. The door is unlocked by sliding
movement of the locking means to an unlocking position in a
direction opposite to the first mentioned direction to become
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disengaged from the locking arm, whereby the biasing means returns
the locking arm to the retracted position.
The door lock may have a hinge pin pivotally connecting
the locking arm to the base, said biasing means comprising a spring
mounted on the hinge pin and having opposite ends engaging the
base and the locking arm respectively to bias the locking arm to the
retracted position.
The base may have a main body and a plate member
perpendicular thereto, the base having upper and lower edges bent
over to form guides in which the locking means is slidably mounted,
and the plate member having holes to enable the plate member to be
secured to the door frame by screws passing through the holes into
the door frame.
The main body of the base may have a stop operable to
limit sliding movement of the locking means in an unlocking
direction, and the locking means may have a stop which engages the
main body of the base to limit movement of the locking means in
the locking direction.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by
way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a door lock in
accordance with one embodiment of the invention,
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Fig. 2 is a section view along the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1,
Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the door lock secured
to a door frame, the lock being in the unlocked configuration,
Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the locking arm moved to
the blocking position,
Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the locking member in the
locking position, and
Fig. 6 is a side view, partly in section, of a portion of the
rear end of a van with a door lock in accordance with the invention
locking the rear door of the van in the closed position.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5, a door lock has a base 12
with a main body 14 and a plate member 16 perpendicular thereto
with holes 18 to enable the plate member 16 to be secured to a door
frame 20 by screws 22. The upper and lower edge of the main body
14 are bent over to form guides 24, 26 in which a locking member
28 is slidably mounted.
A locking arm 30 is pivotally connected to the base 12, the
locking arm 30 having hinge portions 32 which engage with hinge
portions 34 on the base 12 and are retained in assembly therewith
by a hinge pin 36. A spring 38 mounted on the hinge pin 36 has
opposite ends engaging the base 12 and the locking arm 30
respectively to bias the locking arm 30 to the retracted position
shown in Figs. 2 and 3.
Fig. 3 shows the door lock with the locking member 28 in
the unlocking position and the locking arm 30 in the retracted
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position. Fig. 4 shows the locking arm 30 after being moved
manually (by a hand not shown) against the force exerted by the
spring 38 to a blocking position where the locking arm 30 blocks
opening movement of a door 40. The locking arm 30 carries a
resilient pad 42 which engages the door 40.
Fig. 5 shows the locking member 28 after manual sliding
movement from the unlocking position shown in Fig. 4 to the
locking position in which the locking member 28 engages the
locking arm 30 and retains the locking arm 30 in the door blocking
position, thereby preventing the door 40 from opening.
The locking arm 30 can be released by sliding the locking
member 28 back to the unlocking position shown in Fig. 4, where
upon the ring 38 returns the locking arm 30 to the unblocking
position shown in Fig. 3.
Unlocking movement of the body member 28 is limited by
engagement of a stop 44 on the main body 14 with the end of a
recess 46 in the locking member 28. Locking movement of the
locking member 28 is limited by engagement of a flange 48 on the
locking member 28 with the ends of the guides 24, 26 on the main
body 14. The flap 48 also serves as a hand grip for sliding the
locking member 28 between the unlocking and locking positions.
Fig. 6 shows a door lock in accordance with the invention
secured to the lower inside portion of a van door 50 with the
locking arm 30 being held by the locking member 28 in engagement
with the inside of the rear end 52 of the floor of the van body.
*rB
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The advantages of the invention will be clearly evident
from the foregoing description of the embodiments thereof. Other
embodiments will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.
