Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02419012 2003-02-11
Safety device, for example a child safety lock and a locking device
comprising a safety device of this type
The invention relates to a safety device, especially child safety for a
closing device for
windows and/or doors in accordance with patent claim 1, specifically to a
safety device for
bulling windows and/or doors as well as vehicle doors, especially car doors,
to be used as
child safety.
It is the task of the invention to present a safety device which combines a
simple design with
the ability to reliably secure closing devices, for instance of window and/or
door fittings or
locks, against unauthorized operation.
In order to solve this task, the safety device has been designed in accordance
with patent
claim 1. A closing device has been designed in accordance with patent claim
26.
The safety device as per the invention can be part of the window or door
fittings, e.g. at a
window or door handle, and/or part of a window or door lock and/or part of a
latching device
or a lock for vehicle doors.
All types have one thing in common. After the safety device has been
activated, operation
of a door and/or window latch or a window or door lock is only possible with
or after
overcoming a pre-set force or a pre-set momentum (operating force). This
operating force
is adjustable or adjusted in such a manner that it cannot be easily opened by
children or
under manipulation from the outside, i.e. the safety device as per the
invention on the one
hand is a simply constructed but very effective child safety, on the other
hand the protection
against break-ins at windows, doors, etc. is significantly improved through
the safety device
as per the invention.
The safety device of the invention is designed in such a manner that it can be
deactivated
and activated, for instance by changing the operating force or characteristic
force curve
which is required for the operation of the applicable fitting, lock, etc.
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While maintaining existing construction principles, the invention can be
integrated into
existing industrial fittings, handles, locks, etc. in a simple and therefore
cost-effective
manner. This fact as well as the simple design and operation of the safety
device as per the
invention thus provide the prerequisites for equipping standard fittings with
a reliable safety
device, especially also with a perfect child safety, without requiring
extensive changes in
construction and without negatively impacting upon the proven functions of
standard fittings.
The invention specifically offers the opportunity to perfectly adjust the
existing safety device
at each door and/or each window individually in accordance with the applicable
requirements
and situations, for instance in regards to the age of the children. The
applicable adjustment
of the operating force may occur via the setting of the spring strength, via
an adjustable
pneumatic or hydraulic or other media, even via flexible elastic materials
such as rubber or
synthetic materials, polymeres, etc. The access and operating points for the
adjustment of
the operating force are intended to be located at easily accessible positions.
The safety device as per the invention is designed in such a manner as to
require a certain
operating force in accordance with an adjustable force curve for operating the
applicable
latching devices or the applicable lock. The adjustable force curve may be
omitted and
replaced by a special pre-set force or pressure point, which must be overcome
in order to
operate the secured latching device or the secured lock andlor to deactivate
the safety
device. This pressure or force point may be realized in different ways, for
instance via
arrester elements, springs, etc.
A further advantage lies in the fact that after activation, the child safety
remains in a
constantly active state, which makes manipulation by children impossible, as
opposed to
commonly used child safeties in car doors, which are activated or deactivated
by engaging
a lever, which can be accidently engaged by a child as well, at least in cases
where the car
is immobile and the door is open.
A further essential advantage lies in the fact that due to its simple design,
the child safety
can be integrated into car locks of a variety of vehicle types without
requiring extensive
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changes in construction.
The invention also has the advantage of being of simple, constructive and thus
reliable
construction. The invention avoids failure-susceptible components as well as
components
which are easily damaged, especially in case of accidents, specifically
electrical and
electronic components, which makes it fully function in just about any
situation.
Further developments of the invention are subject to sub-claims. In the
following, the
invention is illustrated using images of design examples:
Image 1 A window handle of the invention in simplified and side view
Image 2 An illustration similar to image 1, however after removal of
the cover element from the handle
Images 3-5 The window handle of image 1 in a view of the reverse of the
cover, with different positions of the handle regarding the
cover element
Images 6-8 A further design variation of the window handle as per the
invention with integrated child safety, shown in a simplified
transverse section
Images 9-11 Different uses of the window handle of images 1-8 as door
handle, shown in a simplified transverse section
Image 12 A front view of a door lock as per the invention
Images 13-16 The door lock of image 12 with the lock case open in
different states: in an unsecured state with the lock latch in
both the locked and the open position (images 13 and 14), in
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a secured state with the lock latch in both the locked and the
open position (images 15 and 16)
Images 17-20 Illustrations equivalent to images 13-16, using a modified
design
Images 21-25 A simplified illustration of a car door lock in closed and open
state with
deactivated child safety (images 21 and 22) as well as in closed and
open state with activated child safety (images 23 and 24)
Images 26-28 Another possible design variation of the car door lock as per
the invention
Images 29-32 Different illustrations of additional possible design variations
of the door and window handle as per the invention
Image 33 A front view of a door lock as per the invention
Images 34-39 The door lock of image 33 in side view and in different states
Image 40 Different illustrations of a lock latch to be used with the lock
of images 33-39
Images 41-45 Various additional possible design variations of the window
handle as per the invention, shown in a simplified view
Images 46-49 Different illustrations of a turning handle for a lock with latch
and child safety
Images 50-53 Different designs of a door knob of a door lock with child
safety
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Image 54 An illustration similar to image 34, showing another possible
design variation of a door lock with child safety
In these images, 1 is a window handle which consists of the commonly known
handle
element or handle body, made for instance of plastic, which, for the design
variation
illustrated, is represented in image 1 as a flat U-shape and which is placed
in a swiveling
position with circular cylinder-shaped section 3 into a groove of a cover or
covering collar 4.
The covering collar 4 is fastened in the usual fashion to the interior surface
of a window wing,
which is not represented here. In addition, the handle body 3 possesses at its
end at section
3 a square S-shape, which extends beyond that end. This is used to connect the
installed
window handle 1 in the usual fashion to the closing mechanism mounted in the
window wing
for the purpose of operation. At its circumference, the section 3 is equipped
with several
groove-shaped gaps 6, specifically in the design variation illustrated, with
four gaps 6,
equally distributed around the axis of tha square 5. In addition, the covering
collar4 contains
a flexible arrester element, which in the design variation shown, is formed by
a sphere 7.
This sphere 7 supports the end of a pressure spring 8, whose other end touches
an adjusting
element 9. The latter is formed by a nut sitting on a threaded bolt, which is
positioned in a
gap of the covering collar 4 to allow it to turn but not to move axially. The
axis of the
threaded bolt 10 is radially positioned to the axis of the square 5. The nut 9
can be moved
axially, but not turned. The gaps 6, the sphere 7 and the pressure spring 8
form the child
safety 11.
The pressure spring 8 flexibly presses the sphere 7 against the circumference
of section 3
and arrests in pre-determined positions of the window handle 1 into one of the
gaps 6, which
may be equivalent to the closed or tilted positions of a window. Using four
gaps 6 allows the
window handle 1 to be used both on the right-hand and the left-hand side of a
window or
window wing. The spring 8 is, at least partially, supported by the threaded
bolt 10. Through
the use of suitable tools, for instance a screwdriver, it is possible to turn
the threaded bolt
and thus adjust the pressure generated by the spring 8 in such a manner that
after the
arresting of the sphere 7 into a gap 6, a turning of the window handle 1 and
thus operation
of the window fitting, for instance to open the window, is only possible after
overcoming an
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operating force which cannot be accomplished by a child. Thus the settings of
the tilting
position of the handle element 2 as defined by the gaps 6 are secured against
unauthorized
operation by a child with the help of the child safety.
It is understood that the window handle 1 can also be used as a handle at a
door lock, for
instance at a door lock of a bulding door, for instance an interior building
door. In this case,
the square 5 is guided through the door in the known fashion, and a matching
handle
element is fastened to the end of the square 5 at the side of the door wing
which is facing
away from the handle element 2.
The design variation illustrated in figures 1-5 thus achieves a characteristic
force line with
a rising ramp through the use of the child safety, that is through the sphere
7 arresting in the
gaps 6. When the sphere 7 is arrested, this force must be overcome to operate
the handle
element 2.
As illustrated, the force of the spring 8 and thus the characteristic force
line is adjustable.
If this is not desired or required, the covering collar 4 can be of the closed
variety at its
circumference. In this case, the spring 8 rests on the end facing away from
the sphere 7,
onto a closed side of a gap intended for admitting the spring 8 and the sphere
7. In the
window handle 1, the integrated child safety is thus formed by the gaps 6 and
the adjustable
arrest working with those gaps, and includes the sphere 7, the spring 8, the
threaded part
of the nut and the threaded bolt 10.
The images 6-8 illustrate a further design variation; a window handle 1 a
which is different
from the window handle 1 in regards to the integrated child safety 23. In the
window handle
1 a, the child safety is designed in such a manner that for an access-enabling
connection with
the window fitting, against the effect of a spring force from an initial
position, in which an
access-enabling connection is not present and the child safety is activated
(image 6), the
handle element 2 must be pushed into a position where the child safety is then
deactivated
(images 7 or 8).
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The window handle 1 a has a covering collar 4a, in which the handle element 2
is flexibly
positioned around the axis of the square 5 in a certain angle range. For a
turning/tilting
window, the wing 12 and the pane 13 of which are illustrated in images 6-8,
this angle range
is approximately 180° between handle positions, which corresponds to
the closed position,
the tilted position and the position for opening the window. The square 5
working with the
turning, tilting and closing fitting has a carrier 15 near the covering collar
4, which is
connected to the drive of the square 5 and which reaches into a gap 16 of the
handle
element 2a. One end of the carrier 15 has arresters 17, for instance in the
shape of a
circular outside togging around the axis of the square 5, which can work
together with
matching arresters 18 at the bottom of the gap 16. The arresters may have an
inside
togging.
Between the handle element 2a and the covering collar 4a, there is a reset
spring, for
instance a torsion spring 19, which pre-sets the handle element 2 in a pre-
determined initial
position, for instance in one of the two extreme positions of the turning
movement of that
handle element, in which (extreme position) the handle element stops against a
reverse stop
of the covering collar 4a. In addition to the reverse spring 19, a pressure
spring 20 operates
between between the handle element and the coupling piece 15 and partially
enclosing the
coupling piece 15, which places the handle element 2a in a position, in which
the drive
connection between the handle element 2a and the coupling element 15 is
interrupted and
which thus matches the state "child safety activated", as illustrated in image
6. In this
position, the handle element 2a can be turned against the effect of the
reverse spring 19
without engaging the window fitting 14.
In order to engage the window fitting 14, the handle element 2a must be pushed
against the
effect of the pressure spring 20 in the direction of the window wing, as
illustrated by arrow
K in image 7. The operating force required for this push, through the
selection of the
pressure spring 20, is selected in such a manner that this force can only be
applied by an
adult and not a child. Image 7 illustrates the state in which the handle
element 2a has been
pressed against the window wing in such a manner that the carriers or
arresters 17 and 18
reach into each other, thus enabling the operation of fitting 14 by tilting of
the handle
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element, while maintaining the push onto the handle element 2a. This provides
the state
"child safety deactivated".
The window handle 1a also provides for the option of fixing the state "window
handle
deactivated", as illustrated in image 8. The handle element 2a, i.e. in the
case of the design
variation illustrated, at the edge of the opening of gap 16, has a circular
arrester 21, which
reaches into a circular reverse arrester 22 on the coupling element 15, if the
handle element
2a is pushed beyond the state illustrated in image 7 in the direction of the
arrow K into the
opening of the covering collar 4a, i.e. in the direction of the wing frame.
By pulling in the direction of the arrow K, using a pre-set force which can be
adjusted by
selecting spring arrester 21 or 22, the handle element can be re-positioned
from the state
of image 8 to the state of image 6.
The integrated child safety 23 for the window handle 1a is therefore mainly
formed by the
coupling element 15 with the coupling section 17 and the handle element 2a
with the
coupling section 18, which can be moved relatively to the coupling element 15
in the
direction of the axis of the square 5 and against the effect of the pressure
spring 20.
Image 9 illustrates the use of the handle 1 a as a door handle at a door 12'.
For this use, the
square 5 is guided through the door 12' and the door lock in the known
fashion, so that a
further handle element 2a can be fastened to the square 5 on the side of the
door 12' which
faces away from the handle element 2a'.
The variation illustrated in image 9 provides for a child safety 23 at one
side of the building
door 12' only. The functionality of the child safety 23 is identical to the
function as described
above in connection with images 6-8.
The variations illustrated in image 10 provides for a handle 1 a with matching
child safety for
each side of the building door 12'.
_g_
Similar to image 6, image 11 illustrates a handle 1 b which is different from
handle 1 a in that
it has a pressure spring 20b instead of the pressure spring 20, whose spring
force is
adjustable. This is done via a threaded rod 20b which is guided in a threaded
nut piece, for
instance in a nut 20b" in the handle element 20 b. The threaded rod 20b'
provides the
support to one of end of the spring 20b, whose other end is supported by the
coupling piece
15. The threaded bolt 20b' is accessible for adjusting the force of spring 20b
at the side of
the handle element 2b facing away from the square 5, and should be covered by
a suitable
cover.
Images 12-16 illustrate a door lock 24, whose lock case 25 containing the
functional
elements of the door lock 24 can be fastened in a lock case opening at the
groove side of
the door in the usual fashion, so that the plate 26 is located in the groove
of the door wing
and that the lock is secured in the lock case opening of the door via this
plate and through
the use of screws. In the design variation illustrated, the lock 24 has a key-
bolt 27 operated
by a key as well as a flexible lock latch 28, which can be moved from the
closed position, in
which the lock latch 28 extends out of the lock case and beyond the plate 26,
to an opening
position via an eyelet 29 flexibly positioned in the lock case 25 and a lever
30 radially
positioned at this eyelet. The eyelet is equipped with a square opening 31 in
the known
fashion, into which the square not illustrated of the door handles also not
illustrated reaches.
The lock 24 is equipped with an adjustable child safety. This is generally
identified as 32 and
consists of a double-armed turning lever 33, which can be moved around an axis
parallel to
the axis of the eyelet 29. One end of the turning lever 33 has a pressure
lever 34, whose
other end is freely supported by a support point formed at the transition
between the eyelet
29 and the lever 30. The other end of the lever 33 has a support element 35,
which mainly
consists of a plate and a peg positioned at the free side of this plate. This
support element
35 supports one end of a pressure spring 36, whose length extension is
basically radial to
the length extension of the lever 33, in a mutual plane with the length
extension of this lever,
said plane being vertical to the plane of the axis of the eyelet 29. The other
end of the
pressure spring 36~is supported in the area of the lock plate 26 by an
adjustable support,
specifically a threaded nut piece 38 of this support. The threaded nut piece
38, which in the
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design variation illustrated is formed by a hexagon nut, rests on a threaded
bolt 39, whose
positioning at the lock plate 26 allows turning but no axial movement, and
which is accessible
at the outside of the lock plate through the use of a suitable tool such as a
screwdriver, so
that by turning the threaded bolt 39 and the resulting movement of the
threaded nut piece
38 along the threaded bolt 39, the pre-set force of the pressure spring 36 can
be set. Since
the threaded nut piece 38 is supported by the end of the pressure spring 36,
the threaded
nut piece 38 is held into place by this pressure spring without any danger of
turning. In
addition, the design ensures that when turning the eyelet 29 into the open
position as part
of the movement of the lock latch 28, the lever 33 is turned via the pressure
lever 34 in such
a manner as to allow an additional setting of the pressure spring 36.
In images 13 and 14, the pre-set force of the pressure spring 36 is set in
such a manner that
a relatively easy turning of the eyelet 29 and thus a relatively easy moving
of the lock latch
28 from the closed position (image 13) to the open position (image 14) is
possible. The
threaded nut piece 38 is located near the lock plate 26.
Images 15 and 16 illustrate the state in which the pressure spring 36 is pre-
set to the extent
that moving the eyelet 29 via the applicable door handle and thus moving the
lock latch 28
from the closed position (image 15) to the open position (image 16) is only
possible after
overcoming a relatively large operating force or a relatively large momentum,
which ensures
that the door cannot be opened by a child. This means that images 13 and 14
illustrate the
state "child safety deactivated", while images 15 and 16 illustrate the state
"child safety
activated". The threaded nut piece as shown in images 15 and 16 displays a
considerable
circumstance from the lock plate 26.
In the lock 24 the child safety 32 installed in the lock case 25 is mainly
formed by the levers
33, 34 and the adjustable pressure spring 36, the latter being located in the
lock case above
the latch 28. 14 refers to a leaf spring, which among other things is used to
pre-set the lock
latch 28 into the closed position in lock 24.
Images 17-20 illustrate another possible design variation, a lock 24a whose
only differences
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to lock 24 are the fact that the pressure spring 36 is located in the lock
case 25 between the
eyelet 29 and the key-bolt 27 and that the lever-33-equivalent lever 33a works
on one end
with a stop 42 via a spring 41 in the area of operation 33a', which is
provided for on the lock
latch 28 or its latch slider 28' and onto which the lever 30 of the eyelet 29
also impacts. The
other end of the lever 33 touches the end of the pressure spring 36, whose
other end is
supported by the adjustable support 37. The pressure spring 41 serves as reset
spring for
the latch 28. When tilting the eye 29 over the door handle not illustrated,
the latch 28 is
moved back from the closed position to the open position via the lever 36
touching the stop
42 by tighening the pressure spring 41 or 36.
The pressure spring 36 is significantly harder than the pressure spring 41.
The pressure
spring 36 can be pre-set in different ways due to the adjustable support 37.
Images 17 and
18 illustrate the state "child safety deactivated". The pressure spring 36 is
not or only slightly
pre-set. The threaded nut piece 38 is this in the vicinity of the lock plate
26. When engaging
the eyelet 29, the lock latch 28 is moved from the closed position (image 17)
to the open
position (image 18), simply by reshaping the pressure spring 41.
Images 19 and 20 illustrate the state °child safety activated", in
which the pressure spring
36 is suitably pre-set and the threaded nut piece is thus located at a
distance from the inside
surface of the Jock plate 26. Since the pressure spring 36 is significantly
harder than the
pressure spring 41, the latter is pushed together so far that the lever 33a
with its hook-
shaped angular end 33a' directly touches against the stop 42, even when the
latch 28 is in
the closed position. The tilting of the eyelet 29 and thus the moving of the
latch 28 from the
closed position (image 19) to the open position (image 20) is therefore only
possible upon
overcoming a relatively high turning momentum generated by the force of the
pressure
spring 36. The selection of the pressure spring 36 and/or the setting of the
pressure spring
are such that this cannot normally be done by a child. In the door lock 24a,
the adjustable
support 37 or its threaded bolt, which is used for the pre-setting of the
pressure spring 36,
can be accessed from the outside of the lock plate 26.
Images 21-24 illustrate a very simplified view of a car door lock 44 with a
tiltable key-bolt 46
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provided for at the lock case 45 of the door , which works with an applicable
counterpart at
a fitting of the vehicle so that the tilting positon of the key-bolt 46
illustrated in images 21 and
23 reflects the closed car door and the tilting position of the key-bolt 46
illustrated in images
22 and 24 allows the car door to be opened. The tilting of the key-bolt 46
occurs via a
hinged axis 47 which is located in the lock case 45.
Via a pressure spring 48, which works between one end of a key-bolt lever 46'
radially
positioned from lever 46 and a plate 49 of the lock case 45, the key-bolt 45
is pre-set in the
closing position. The pressure spring 48 is supported by the plate 49 via an
adjustable
support 50, which is equivalent to the design of the adjustable support 37 and
on which the
pre-setting of the pressure spring 48 can be performed from the accessible
side, for instance
from the outside when the vehicle door is open.
On the inside of the vehicle door, a lever 52 is flexibly positioned in a
casing 51, which is
connected to a key-bolt 46 via a rod structure 53. Thus when the lever 52 is
tilted from its
initial position, in which the lever 52 is located in the casing 51 (images 21
and 23), and into
a position where the lever 52 extends beyond the casing 51 (images 22 and 24),
the key-bolt
46 is moved from the closed to the open position.
Images 21 and 22 illustrate the state "child safety deactivated" in which the
pressure spring
48 is only slightly pre-set and thus a tilting of the key-bolt 46 from the
closed position (image
21 ) into the open position (image 22) is possible with only a small amount of
force.
Images 23 and 24 illustrate the state "child safety activated" in which the
pressure spring 48
is suitably pre-set so that only when a force is applied which cannot normally
be applied by
a child, the key-bolt 46 is moved from the locking position (image 23) to the
open position
(image 24) by tilting the lever 52.
Images 25-28 illustrate a further possible design variation, a door lock 44a,
which is different
from the door lock 44 in that the pressure spring 48a, whose function is
equivalent to that of
the pressure spring 48, works between the casing 51 and the lever 52 and is
provided for at
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the reverse of the casing 51. The pressure spring 48a is supported between a
projection 52a
of the lever 52 connected to the rod structure 53 and an adjustable support
50a, which is
provided for in the area of the trough-shaped depression of the casing 51 and
which is
accessible via this depression.
Images 26 and 26 illustrate the state "child safety deactivated", in which the
pressure spring
48a displays only a slight pre-setting. Images 27 and 28 illustrate the state
"child safety
activated where the pressure spring 48a is more strongly pre-set.
The car door locks 44 and 44a with child safety as illustrated in images 21-
28, compared to
commonly used child safety devices, have the advantage of allowing the
applicable car door
to be opened by an adult at any time, especially in case of an accident, thus
enabling speedy
rescue.
The previous paragraphs were based upon the assumption that the force of the
springs 48
and 48a is manually adjustable with the help of the setting elements 50 or the
setting screw.
However, there is another general option to perform the setting of the spring
force
mechanically via actuators, which may be operated via an operating element
which is
accessible in the area of the driver's seat, for instance an operating element
included in the
dashboard. Like the other variations, the following also applies to this
variation: even when
the child safety has been set to the strongest setting, i.e. the applicable
spring element is set
to the strongest spring force, this force cannot be applied by a child, but
can be easily
overcome by an adult in case of emergency so that in case of an accident, the
door can be
opened by an adult. This also means that the possibility of opening the car
door by an adult
with the child safety activated does not depend on the faultless functioning
of any electronics.
Actuators for the mechanical setting of the spring force are for instance
electrical or
electromagnetic actuators such as actuators or motors based upon magnetic
force. Other
actuators such as hydraulic actuators are also possible. The applicable
actuator is
integrated for instance in the lock area or in the area of the door handle.
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Unlike the special design variations illustrated in the images, the spring-
type elements can
naturally be provided for at another suitable location as well, for instance
in the area of the
rod structure between the door handle and lock. Instead of the springs 48 and
48a, other
elements acting as springs may also be used, for instance those made of
plastic and/or
metal.
Images 29 and 30 illustrate another possible design variation, a window handle
1c, which is
similar to the window handle 1 and whose covering collar 4c has two spring
elements 60,
whose spring force is adjustable and who work with groove-type gaps 6 at the
section 3 of
the handle element 2c. The spring elements 60, which are positioned radially
to the axis of
the section 3c or the square 5 of the handle element 2c and facing each other
diametrally,
consist of sliding piece 61, which can be moved in a guiding rail of the
covering collar 4c in
the axis direction A and which has a sphere 62 on the side facing the section
3c which works
with the gaps 6. Supported by this sliding piece 61 is a pressure spring 63,
whose radial
outside end touches a reverse stop 64, which can be adjusted with a
screwdriver via a
screw-bolt 65. Through the use of the four gaps 6, the window handle 1 c has a
total of four
arrester positions, three of which are used by a window with a turning/tilting
fitting when
installed (either left or right installation). If the force of the springs 63
is set accordingly, the
child safety at every arrester position is achieved in such a manner that the
window handle
1 c or its handle element 2c cannot be operated by a child, since only an
adult is able to apply
the force required for overcoming the arrester generated by the springs 60.
Images 31 and 23 illustrate in a view like image 29 and 30 a door handle 1d,
which is
different from the window handle 1 c in that the handle element 2c does not
have the groove-
type gaps 6 in its section 3d which reaches into the opening of the covering
collar 4d.
Instead it has two wing-type projections 66 forming two lifts or ramps, which
work with the
spheres or the flexible sliding pieces in such a manner that the door handle
can only be
opened if the flexible sliding pieces are simultaneously moved radially to the
outside against
the force of the pressure springs through the ramps or projections 66. In this
case the two
pressure springs can also be adjusted so that the force for opening of the
door can only be
applied by an adult but never by a child. The ramps formed by the projections
66 can be
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shaped in such a manner that a continuous force increase, depending on the
tilting angle of
the handle element 2d is achieved, which results in an especially comfortable
operation.
Unlike the design variations described, the child safety can also be achieved
by providing for
a push button on the handle element, which when engaged will release a child-
safety
blocking and enable the applicable handle element to be tilted. In this case
the push button
is also pre-set via ad adjustable spring force so that this spring force
cannot be overcome
by a child but only by an adult.
Images 33-39 illustrate another possible design variation of the door handle
24b, which
differs from door handles 24 and 24a in that a pull spring 70 is provided for
in the lock case
25 for the child safety. One of its ends is held by an adjustable support 71,
accessible via
the lock case plate 26, and its other end impacts upon the extension 30b' of
the eyelet lever
30b, whose function is equivalent to that of the eyelet lever 30, i.e. which
serves for engaging
the lock latch 28b or the lock latch slider 28b against the effect of the leaf
spring 40.
In the extension 30b' there is a lengthwise slit 72, which is at a tangent or
an approximate
tangent to the supposed circle around the axis of the square 31 and into which
the other end
of the pull spring 70 is hooked. Depending on the setting of the adjustable
support 71, which
can simply be formed by a screw, on whose threading one end of the pull spring
70 or a
threaded nut piece connected to the pull spring is held, the effect of the
child safety formed
by this pull spring is adjustable, i.e. the force required for opening the
lock latch is adjustable
between the value Zero and a maximum value.
Images 34-36 illustrate the state in which the pull spring 70 is without
effect or the child
safety is turned off. Images 34 and 35 show this with the lock latch 28b
extending beyond
the lock case plate 26, and image 36 with the door handle pushed and the latch
28b moved
back into the lock case 25. Images 37 and 38 illustrate the setting of the
pull spring 70, for
which (setting) the pull spring is guaranteed to be effective if the door
handle is completely
pressed down or if the lock latch 28b is completely pulled in. Image 38
illustrates a setting
in which the pull spring 70 is already effective during the quiescent state of
the lock, i.e. when
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CA 02419012 2003-02-11
the latch 28b is extending beyond the lock case plate 26.
Image 40 shows different views or positions a - h of the lock latch 28b and
the matching
latch slider 28b'. As illustrated, the actual latch 28b is removably fastened
to the latch slider
28b' by a screw 73, which is accessible via the free end of the lock latch 28b
and thus from
the outside of the lock case plate 26. In addition, the latch slider 28b' and
the lock latch 28b
are designed in such a manner that the latch 28b can be fastened to the front
side of the
latch slider 28b in two positions which are turned at an 180° angle
from the length of the
slider 28b. Thus the door lock 24b can be used for left- or right-controlled
doors. Both
fastening options of the lock latch 28b to the latch slider 28b', in addition
to the connection
via the screw 73, achieve a form-locking connection between those elements.
The door lock 24b, when compared to the door lock 24, has the advantage that
the spring
force required for the child safety is not effected by an additional lever,
but that the eyelet
lever 30b is used for this in the manner described above. No basic changes are
necessary
for the integration of the child safety into the door lock 24b, compared to
the commonly used
design, which means that the child safety can be integrated easily into
existing, proven
constructions. In addition, the positioning of the pull spring 70 is extremely
favourable from
a mechanical point of view so that the pull spring 70 is easy to operate.
The connection of the pull spring 70 with the adjustable support 71 or with
screw forming this
support is realized for instance by the pull spring 70 reaching into the screw
thread or by
providing for a threaded sleeve or a threaded nut piece at the applicable end
of the pull
spring, which works with the screws.
The length of the lengthwise slit 72 is equivalent to the path or angle
length, by which the
eyelet lever 30b is moved when the door handle is completely pressed down or
when the
door handle is completely tilted.
A further, especially favourable characteristic of the door lock 4b is the
fact that the leaf
spring 40 is fully effective even when the child safety is turned off. Thus
the standard
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CA 02419012 2003-02-11
function of the door lock remains unchanged, while the applicable setting of
the adjustable
support 71 results in the gradually adjustable effect of the pull spring 70.
By using the pull spring 70, the adjustable support 71 can also be easily
formed by a screw,
whose screw head (flat head) is held in a matching drill hole of the lock case
plate 26.
As illustrated by images 37 and 38, the setting of the pull spring 70 may be
executed in such
a manner that at the beginning of the opening movement via the eyelet lever
30b, only the
leaf spring 40 is effective, and only when the lock latch 28b is moved further
back, the effect
of the pull spring 70 is added.
A special advantage of the door lock 24b is the fact that the spring force of
the lock latch 28b
does not depend on the setting of the pull spring 70 and is determined by the
leaf spring
only.
When installing the applicable door into a building, major tolerance may occur
so that when
the door is closed, the lock latch 28b no longer reaches into the applicable
opening of the
lock plate with its entire length, but only with a portion of its length. In
this case, a reliable
child safety can still be achieved by the applicable setting of the pull
spring 70.
Since th pull spring 70 directly impacts upon the eyelet lever 30b and no
additional lever
structures are required, the result is not a simplified construction but also
a design with very
little wear and tear.
The opening for the lock latch 28b in the lock latch plate is designed in such
a manner that
by turning the lock latch 28b a usage in either a left or right door wing is
possible, while a
reliable guidance of the lock latch 28b at the lock case plate 26 is still
guaranteed. The
positioning of the lock latch 28b, but also of the key-bolt 27 in the design
variation shown are
in the middle of the lock case plate 26.
Images 41 and 42 illustrate a simplified and reverse view of a window handle
with a handle
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CA 02419012 2003-02-11
element 2a, which can be tilted on a casing 74 and has again the square 5. The
casing 74
has two sides and consists of an outer casing part 75 and an inner casing part
76. The latter
can be made of plastic or metal and has two drill holes 77 for the fastening
of the window
handle 1 a to a window wing. The outer casing part 75 which covers the inner
casing part 76
like a dome, is also made of a suitable material, for instance metal or
plastic. Both casing
parts have a drill hole, in which the section 78 of the handle element 2e,
which takes in the
square 5, is positioned so that it can be turned. The circumference of the
section 78 has
arrester lifts 79, in the case of the design variation illustrated four such
lifts, which work with
an arrester 81 formed at a tilting lever 80. The arrester 81 is located on one
side between
the two ends of the tilting or arrester lever 80, whose one end can be tilted
via a joint 82 at
the inner casing part 76 within the building around an axis parallel to the
tilting axis of the
handle element 2e. Its other end works with one end of the spring 83, which is
held by a
screw 84 on the inner casing 76 so that the screw is accessible from the
outside for setting
of the spring force of the pull spring 83. Via the setting of the pull spring
83, the force
required for the renewed tilting of the handle element 2a after the engaging
of the arrester
91 in a groove 79 can be adjusted.
The handle element 2e can be connected to the casing 74 in different ways. The
pre-setting
of the spring 83 not only achieves an effective child safety, but especially
in case of an
extreme pre-setting of the pull spring 83, an anti-theft protection is also
achieved, i.e. the
handle element can no longer be easily engaged from the outside of the window,
for instance
by drilling through the wing frame or in another way intended for unauthorized
opening of the
window.
Instead of the arrester 81, the tilting lever 80 may also have a sphere. In
this case, a running
and guiding groove for the sphere is provided for at the circumference of the
section 78, in
order to achieve both a low rate of wear and tear and also a large overlay
with the smallest
load possible on the sphere.
Image 43 illustrates an option of positioning the tilting lever 80 by placing
peg-type
projections formed by permanent re-shaping of the material in the casing parts
76' around
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CA 02419012 2003-02-11
this tilting lever, which serve as support pegs for the tilting lever 81.
Images 44 and 45 illustrate a further possible design variation, a window
handle 1f, which
differs from the window handle 1 a in that it has a pressure spring 85, whose
one end impacts
upon the arrester or tilting lever 80 and whose other end is supported by an
adjustable
reverse support. This reverse support can be used to adjust the spring force
of the pressure
spring 85 from the outside. The adjustment can be done in another way, as the
pressure
spring 85, in its completely compressed state without another possible spring
path, forms a
form-locking connection between the reverse support 86 and the elverl 80 and
thus
completely blocks the handle element 21 in the applicable arrester position,
for instance to
achieve an effective anti-theft protection. In addition to the arrester lever
80, a leaf spring
87 is provided for in the building 74, whose arrester-shaped midsection also
works with the
lifts 79 and thus enables an arrester-controlled adjustment of the handle
element 21, even
when the pressure spring is completely relieved.
Further variations of the window handles 1 a and 1 f are possible. Instead of
the arrester lever
80 which can be tilted on one side, a lever- or beam-type arrester piece with
arrester can be
provided for, whose both ends are connected to the reverse support in the
casing via a
spring element. In addition, a leaf spring whose spring force can be adjusted
and which
works with the lifts is also possible.
Images 46-49 illustrate a lock 89 with a lock latch 90 designed for a door
wing 88, which can
be engaged via a rotary button or knob 91 via a latch slider 92 which is
activated by the knob
91. Between this latch slider 92 and a lock case plate 93, there is a pull
spring 94, whose
one end impacts upon the latch slider 92 and whose other end is held by an
adjusting screw
95, which is positioned in the lock case plate to allow turning and which is
accessible in the
area of the wing groove.
Images 50 and 51 illustrate a door lock 96 which is commonly used on building
doors for
instance in Italy and which uses a knob 97 for opening. It has a push button
98, via which
a lock latch is pressed which releases and opens the door. The push button 98
impacts
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CA 02419012 2003-02-11
upon a lever 99, which is pre-set by a pull spring from the outside of the
knob 97. This forms
the child safety. Image 50 shows the knob 97 with the push button 98 not
pressed, and
image 51 with the button 98 pressed.
In illustrations similar to images 50 and 51, images 52 and 53 show another
variation, a lock
101 which differs from the lock 96 in that an additional pressure spring 102
is included as the
child safety. It impacts between the push button 98 and a reverse support of
the knob 97
and is adjustable from the outside in the area of the push button 98.
Image 54 illustrates a further possible variation, a door lock 24c which
differs from the door
lock 24b in that it has two pull springs 70' and 70" instead of the single
pull spring 70. The
are positioned parallel to each other and works with the eyelet lever 30c or
ist extension 30c',
which is equivalent to the eylet lever 30b. The two pull springs 70' and 70"
are held on one
end at an adjustable reverse support or an adjusting screw 71, while their
other ends reach
into a separate lengthwise slit 72 in the extension 30c'.
Using two parallel springs 70' and 70" not only doubles the spring force, but
each spring 70'
and 70" can be individually adjusted. One of the springs, for instance the
spring 70', can
thus become effective immediately upon tilting of the eyelet lever 30c, while
the other spring
70" only becomes effective when a certain tilting angle of this lever is
reached.
The above paragraphs have described the invention in a multitude of variation
examples.
It is understood that numerous further alterations and modifications are
possible without
abandoning the principle on which the invention is based.
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CA 02419012 2003-02-11
List of reference symbols
1, 1 a, 1 b,1 Window handle
c
1 d, 1 e, 1 f Door handle
2, 2a, 2a', 2e, Handle element
2f
3 Section of the handle
element
4, 4a Covering collar
Square
6 Gap
7 Sphere
8 Pressure spring
9 Threaded nut piece
Threaded bolt
11 Adjustable reverse support
12 Window or door wing
12' Door wing
13 Pane
14 Fitting
Coupling element
16 Gap
17, 18 Carrier or coupling section
19 Reverse spring
20, 20b Pressure spring
20b' Threaded bolt
20b" Threaded nut piece
21, 22 Arrester
23 Child safety
24, 24a, 24b Door lock
Lock case
26 Lock case plate
27 Key-bolt
28, 28b Latch
28', 28b' Latch slider
29 Eyelet
30, 30b Eyelet lever
30b' Extension
31 Square opening
32 Child safety
33, 33a Double-armed tilting lever
33a' Angular end
34 Pressure lever
Support
36 Pressure spring
37 Adjustable support
38 Threaded nut piece
39 Threaded bolt
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CA 02419012 2003-02-11
40 Leaf spring
41 Reverse spring
42 Stop
44, 44a Car lock
45 Lock case
46 Key-bolt
46' Lever arm
47 Tilting axis
48, 48a Pressure spring
49 Plate
50 Adjustable support
51 Casing
51' Projection
52 Lever
53 Rod structure
60 Spring element
61 Sliding piece
62 Sphere
63 Pressure spring
64 Reverse support
65 Adjusting screw
66 Projection or ramp
70 Pull spring#
71 Adjustable reverse support or adjusting
screw
72 Lengthwise slit
73 Screw
74 Casing
74, 76 Casing part
77 Fastening drill hole
78 Handle element section
79 Arrester lift
80 Arrester lever
81 Arrester
82 Hinged bolt
82' Hinged projection
83 Pull spring
84 Screw
85 Pressure spring
86 Adjustable reverse support
87 Leaf spring
88 Door wing
89 Lock
90 Lock latch
91 Rotary knob
92 Latch slider
93 Lock case plate
94 Pull spring
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95 Adjusting screw
9g Door lock
97 Knob
98 Push button
99 Tilting lever
100 Pull spring
101 Lock
102 Pressure spring
K, K' Direction of force
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