Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TWO-HANDLED LOCK
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lock, and more particularly
to a two-handled lock that is operable to allow for or
prevent co-rotation of a handle with a handle-connecting
rod.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, an electric door lock
disclosed in US Patent Application Publication No.
2007/0169525 includes an internal lock housing 11, an
inside handle 12, an external lock housing 13, an outside
handle 14, a handle-connecting rod 15 co-rotatable with
the inside and outside handles 12, 14, two return units
16 for returning the inside and outside handles 12, 14,
respectively, an electric driving unit 17, and a
lock-controlling mechanism 2.
The external lock housing 13 includes a hole-defining
wall 132 having a mounting hole 131 and two engaging grooves
134, and a projecting annular wall 133 disposed around the
mounting hole 131. The outside handle 14 includes a handle
housing 141, and a cylindrical part 142 disposed within
and co-rotatable with the handle housing 141. The
cylindrical part 142 is formed with two engaging holes 143
aligned respectively with the engaging grooves 134 in the
external lock housing 13.
The lock-controlling mechanism 2 includes a rotary knob
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21 mounted to the inside handle 12, a key-operated lockset
22 mounted to the outside handle 14, a lock-connecting rod
23 in the form of a plate and interconnecting the rotary
knob 21 and the lockset 22, and two latching plates 24,
24' sleeved on the lock-connecting rod 23 and aligned with
the engaging grooves 134 in the external lock housing 13.
Each of the latching plates 24, 24' has a rod-engaging
portion 242 having a rod-engaging hole 241, as well as a
balance portion 243 and a retaining portion 244 extending
from two opposite sides of the rod-engaging portion 242
and away from each other. The rod-engaging hole 241 in each
of the latching plates 24, 24' has a generally horizontal
hole portion 24S, and a generally vertical hole portion
246. The balance portion 243 of each of the latching plates
24, 24' is aligned with the retaining portion 244 of the
other of the latching plates 24, 24' along a longitudinal
direction of the lock-connecting rod 23.
When the latching plates 24, 24' are disposed in
latching positions shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the
lock-connecting rod 23 is vertical, and the retaining
portions 244 of the latching plates 24, 24' project
respectively into the engaging grooves 134 in the external
lock housing 13 to thereby prevent rotation of the inside
and outside handles 12, 14. The lock can be locked through
operation of any of the lockset 22, the rotary knob 21,
and the electric driving unit 17 to move the latching plates
24, 24' to the latching positions.
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When the latching plates 24, 24' are disposed in
unlatching positions shown in Fig. 2, the lock-connecting
rod 23 is horizontal, and the retaining portions 244 of
latching plates 24, 24' are retracted into the engaging
holes 143 in the outside handle 14 to thereby allow for
rotation of the inside and outside handles 12, 14.
Although the aforesaid door lock can achieve its
intended purpose, the latching plates 24, 24' are easily
deformed and therefore malfunction when a large torque is
applied thereto. This may be done by attaching a tool to
the outside handle 14 to increase the moment arm associated
with a torque applied to the outside handle 14. When the
latching plates 24, 24' are sufficiently deformed, the
outside handle 14 can be pivoted to open the door.
SUNIlKARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of this invention is to provide a two-handled
lock that can overcome the above-mentioned disadvantage
associated with the prior art.
According to this invention, a lock includes inside and
outside handles mounted rotatably on a lock housing unit,
a key-operated lockset mounted to the outside handle, a
rotary knob mounted to the inside handle, a
handle-connecting rod co-rotatable with the inside handle,
a driven seat co-rotatable with the handle-connecting rod,
a lock-connecting rod interconnecting the lockset and the
rotary knob, and an engaging plate disposed movably within
a slot in the driven seat. The lock-connecting rod is
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rotatable to move the engaging plate between a connection
position whereat the engaging plate projects from the
driven seat so as to allow for co-rotation of the outside
handle with the handle-connecting rod, and a retracted
position whereat the engaging plate is retracted into the
driven seat so as to prevent co-rotation of the outside
handle with the handle-connecting rod.
As such, when the engaging plate is moved to the
retracted position to thereby lock the two-handled lock,
rotation of the outside handle cannot result in deformation
of the engaging plate and unlocking of the two-handled lock.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features and advantages of this
invention will become apparent in the following detailed
description of a preferred embodiment of this invention,
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electric
door lock disclosed in US Patent Application Publication
No. 2007/0169525;
Fig. 2 is a fragmentary exploded schematic view of the
electric door lock shown in Fig. 1 when two latching plates
are disposed in unlatching positions to unlock the door
lock;
Fig. 3 is a fragmentary exploded schematic view of the
electric door lock shown in Fig. 1 when the latching plates
are disposed in latching positions to lock the door lock;
Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the preferred
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embodiment of a two-handled lock according to this
invention;
Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a
handle-connecting rod and a lock-controlling mechanism
5 of the preferred embodiment;
Fig. 6 is a fragmentary schematic view of the preferred
embodiment, illustrating how first and second engaging
plates are disposed in connection positions;
Fig. 7A is a fragmentary schematic view of the preferred
embodiment, illustrating positioning of a
lock-connecting rod relative to the first engaging plate
when the first engaging plate is disposed in the
connection position;
Fig. 7B is a fragmentary schematic view of the preferred
embodiment, illustrating positioning of the
lock-connecting rod relative to the second engaging plate
when the second engaging plate is disposed in the
connection position;
Fig. 8 is a fragmentary schematic view of the preferred
embodiment, illustrating how the first and second
engaging plates are disposed in retracted positions;
Fig. 9A is a fragmentary schematic view of the preferred
embodiment, illustrating positioning of a
lock-connecting rod relative to the first engaging plate
when the first engaging plate is disposed in the retracted
position; and
Fig. 9B is a fragmentary schematic view of the preferred
~_ .. __._. ... .
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embodiment, illustrating positioning of the
lock-connecting rod relative to the second engaging plate
when the second engaging plate is disposed in the
retracted position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the preferred embodiment
of a two-handled lock according to this invention includes
a lock housing unit 3, a handle unit 4, a lock-controlling
mechanism 5, and an electric driving mechanism 6. The lock
housing unit 3 includes an external lock housing 31 disposed
on an outer side surface of a door (not shown), and an
internal lock housing 32 disposed on an inner side surface
of the door. The external lock housing 31 has a wall 312
formed with a mounting hole 311.
The handle unit 4 includes an outside handle 41 mounted
rotatably on the external lock housing 31 and extending
into the mounting hole 311, an inside handle 42 disposed
rotatably on the internal lock housing 32, a
handle-connecting rod 43 connected to and co-rotatable with
the inside handle 42, and a return unit 44 for returning
the outside handle 41. The outside handle 41 includes a
handle housing 411 and a generally cylindrical part 412.
The handle housing 411 has a cylindrical portion 413 and
a grip lever 414 extending radially and outwardly from the
cylindrical portion 413. The return unit 44 biases the
grip lever 414 to a horizontal position. The cylindrical
part 412 has a receiving chamber 415 defined by a
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surrounding wall 416. The surrounding wall 416 is formed
with two aligned notches 417. The handle-connecting rod
43 is configured as a rectangular tube, and has a tube wall
432 defining a central bore 431, and four projections 433
extending from an end of the tube wall 432. The
handle-connecting rod 43 is rotatable to move a spring bolt
(not shown).
The lock-controlling mechanism 5 includes a
key-operated lockset 51 mounted within the receiving
chamber 415 in the outside handle 41, a rotary knob 52
mounted rotatably on the inside handle 42, a
lock-connecting rod 53 connected between and rotatable by
the lockset 51 and the rotary knob 52, a driven seat 54
disposed rotatably within the receiving chamber 415 in the
outside handle 41 and co-rotatable with the
handle-connecting rod 43, and a pair of first and second
engaging plates 55, 56. The rotary knob 52 includes a cap
portion 521, a surrounding wall 522 extending from the cap
portion 521 in a direction toward the lock-connecting rod
53, and an actuation block 523 extending from the cap
portion 521 in a direction away from the lock-connecting
rod 53. The surrounding wall 522 defines an insert hole
524 having a rectangular cross-section. The
lock-connecting rod 53 is configured as a plate, and has
an insert end 531 (see Fig. 5) received fittingly within
the insert hole 524 in the rotary knob 52 so as to allow
for co-rotation of the lock-connecting rod 53 with the
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rotary knob 52.
The driven seat 54 includes a first seat half 541 sleeved
on and co-rotatable with the handle-connecting rod 43, and
a second seat half 543 connected fixedly to the first seat
half 541 by bolts 544 to define an open-ended slot 542
therebetween. The slot 542 has two opposite open ends 540.
The first seat half 541 has a plate portion 545, two slot
walls 546 extending from a side of the plate portion 545
toward the second seat half 543 to define the slot 542
between the slot walls 546, and a surrounding wall portion
547 extending from an opposite side of the plate body 545
in a direction away from the slot walls 546. The plate
portion 545 and the surrounding wall portion 547 cooperate
to define an insert hole 548 engaging fittingly the
handle-connecting rod 43 so as to allow for co-rotation
of the first seat half 541 and the handle-connecting rod
43. The surrounding wall portion 547 has an inner surface
formed withfour positioning grooves 549. The projections
433 of the handle-connecting rod 43 engage respectively
the positioning grooves 549 in the surrounding wall portion
547.
Each of the first and second engaging plates 55, 56 has
a rod-engaging portion 551, 561 formed with a rod-engaging
hole 550, 560 allowing for extension of the lock-connecting
rod 53 therethrough, a retaining portion 552, 562 extending
from a side of the rod-engaging portion 551, 561, and a
balance portion 553, 563 extending from an opposite side
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of the rod-engaging portion 551, 561. Each of the
rod-engaging holes 550, 560 has a generally horizontal hole
portion 554, 564 and a generally vertical hole portion 555,
565 having an end connected to an end of the horizontal
hole portion 554, 564. The retaining portion 552 of the
first engaging plate 55 is aligned with the balance portion
563 of the second engaging plate 56, while the balance
portion 553 of the first engaging plate 55 is aligned with
the retaining portion 562 of the second engaging plate 56,
as shown in Figs. 6 and 8. Each of the first and second
engaging plates 55, 56 is movable between a connection
position shown in Fig. 6 and a retracted position shown
in Fig. 8.
The electric driving mechanism 6 includes a motor 61,
a keyboard member 62 operable to rotate an output shaft
(not shown) of the motor 61 and, thus, an assembly of the
rotary knob 52 and the lock-connecting rod 53, in two
directions in a known manner. In another embodiment, the
electric driving mechanism 6 may be omitted.
With particular reference to Figs. 4, 6, 7A, and 7B,
when the first and second engaging plates 55, 56 are
disposed in the connection positions, the lock-connecting
rod 531 is horizontal, and is located in the horizontal
hole portions 554, 564 of the rod-engaging holes 550, 560
in the first and second engaging plates 55, 56. In this
state, the retaining portions 552, 562 of the first and
second engaging plates 55, 56 project from the slot 542
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in the first seat 541 into the notches 417 in the outside
handle 41, respectively, to thereby allow for co-rotation
of the handle-connecting rod 43 with the outside handle
41. Hence, the outside handle 41 can be operated to open
5 the door.
To lock the door, any of the outside handle 41, the rotary
knob 52, and the electric driving mechanism 6 can be
operated to rotate the lock-connecting rod 53 to thereby
move the first and second engaging plates 55, 56 from the
10 connection positions to the retracted positions. With
particular reference to Figs. 8, 9A, and 9B, when the first
and second engaging plates 55, 56 are disposed in retracted
positions, the lock-connecting rod 53 is vertical, and is
located in the vertical hole portions 555, 565 of the
rod-engaging holes 550, 560 in the first and second engaging
plates 55, 56. In this state, the retaining portions 552,
562 of the first and second engaging plates 55, 56 are
retracted into the slot 542 in the first seat half 541 to
thereby prevent co-rotation of the handle-connecting rod
43 (see Fig. 4) with the outside handle 41. As a consequence,
when the outside handle 41 is rotated, the remaining members
of the lock are kept intact. Thus, unlocking of the lock
and subsequent opening of the door through operation of
the outside handle 41 can be prevented to thereby promote
the anti-theft effect of the lock.
With this invention thus explained, it is apparent that
numerous modifications and variations can be made without
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departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. It
is therefore intended that this invention be limited only
as indicated by the appended claims.
