MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT FOR FASTENING A SHAFT IN A LOCKING DEVICE, AND LOCKING DEVICE COMPRISING SUCH A MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mounting arrangement for fastening a shaft in a locking device, the mounting arrangement (1) comprising—a shaft (2) for insertion into a handle follower of a locking device; —a locking member (33) for fixating the shaft after insertion to prevent undesired removal from the handle follower, and—a release member (32) for releasing the locking member to enable desired removal of the shaft from the handle follower, wherein the locking member (33) is movable between a locking position for fixating the shaft in the handle follower and a release position, and wherein the release member (32) is operatively connected to the locking member for moving the locking member from the locking position to the release position. The invention also relates to a locking device (10) comprising such a mounting arrangement (1).

Claims

1. Mounting arrangement for fastening a shaft in a locking device, the mounting arrangement (1) comprising a shaft (2) for insertion into a handle follower of a locking device, a locking member (33) for fixating the shaft after insertion to prevent undesired removal from the handle follower, and a release member (32) for releasing the locking member to enable desired removal of the shaft from the handle follower, wherein the locking member (33) is movable between a locking position for fixating the shaft in the handle follower and a release position, and wherein the release member (32) is operatively connected to the locking member (33) for moving the locking member from the locking position to the release position.

2. Mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the locking member (33) is biased away from the shaft (2) towards the locking position and wherein the release member (32) is operatively connected to the locking member (33) for acting against the bias and press the locking member (33) towards the shaft (2) into the release position for releasing the locking member (33).

3. Mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the shaft (2) comprises a groove (21) and wherein at least one of the locking member (33) and the release member (32) are arranged at least partly in said groove (21).

4. Mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the release member (32) is biased away from the shaft (2) and connected to the locking member (33) in such a way that an applied force that acts against the bias of the release member (32) also acts against the bias of the locking member (33).

5. Mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the locking member (33) and the release member (32) form part of a shaft operator (3).

6. Mounting arrangement according to claim 5, wherein said shaft operator (3) has a first portion (34) that is mounted in an opening (22) in the shaft (2) and a second portion (32, 33) that extends in a longitudinal direction along the shaft (2) towards a shaft end, said first portion (34) being configured to create a bias so that the second portion (32, 33) is biased in a transversal direction away from the shaft (2), and wherein the release member (32) and locking member (33) are parts of the second portion (32, 33).

7. Mounting arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the locking member (33) is an end portion of the second portion of the shaft operator (3), said end portion being configured to extend in an essentially transversal direction from the shaft (2) for cooperating with a handle follower to prevent removal of the shaft from the handle follower.

8. Mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the locking member (33) and the release member (32) form part of a leaf spring or wire spring.

9. Mounting arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the locking member (33) and release member (32) or a shaft operator (3) comprising the locking member and release member are/is integrated with or fixedly attached to the shaft (2).

10. Locking device comprising at least one mounting arrangement (1) according to claim 1, the locking device (10) comprising at least one handle follower (11) for receiving a shaft of the mounting arrangement (1) and for transmitting a rotary motion from the shaft to a bolt mechanism for operating a bolt.

11. Locking device according to claim 10, wherein the handle follower (11) is configured to cooperate with the locking member (33) of the mounting arrangement (1) to fixate the shaft (2) of the mounting arrangement in the handle follower (11).

12. Locking device according to claim 10, wherein the handle follower (11) comprises at least one cavity, preferably a notch or groove, for receiving the locking member (33) for fixating the shaft.

13. Locking device according to claim 10, wherein the handle follower (11) comprises a groove or a plurality of cavities distributed along an inner circumference of the handle follower for receiving the locking member (33).

14. Mounting arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the shaft (2) comprises a groove (21) and at least one of the locking member (33) and the release member (32) are arranged at least partly in said groove (21).

15. Mounting arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the release member (32) is biased away from the shaft (2) and connected to the locking member (33) in such a way that an applied force that acts against the bias of the release member (32) also acts against the bias of the locking member (33).

16. Mounting arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the release member (32) is biased away from the shaft (2) and connected to the locking member (33) in such a way that an applied force that acts against the bias of the release member (32) also acts against the bias of the locking member (33).

17. Mounting arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the release member (32) is biased away from the shaft (2) and connected to the locking member (33) in such a way that an applied force that acts against the bias of the release member (32) also acts against the bias of the locking member (33).

18. Mounting arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the locking member (33) and the release member (32) form part of a shaft operator (3).

19. Mounting arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the locking member (33) and the release member (32) form part of a shaft operator (3).

20. Mounting arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the locking member (33) and the release member (32) form part of a shaft operator (3).

Description

DRAWINGS

[0022] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the appended drawings, wherein

[0023] FIG. 1a discloses a planar view of a locking device with a mounting arrangement according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] FIG. 1b discloses a perspective view of the locking device of FIG. 1a;

[0025] FIG. 2a discloses a perspective view of a mounting arrangement according to the preferred embodiment of the invention together with a handle follower before mounting;

[0026] FIG. 2b discloses a perspective view of the mounting arrangement and handle follower of FIG. 2a after mounting;

[0027] FIG. 3a discloses a cross-sectional view from the side of a handle follower and mounting arrangement according to the preferred embodiment of the invention before mounting;

[0028] FIG. 3b discloses an enlarged cross-sectional view of the mounting arrangement of the area in FIG. 3a denoted with A;

[0029] FIG. 4a discloses a cross-sectional view from the side of the handle follower and mounting arrangement of FIG. 3a after mounting;

[0030] FIG. 4b discloses an enlarged cross-sectional view of the mounting arrangement of the area in FIG. 4a denoted with B;

[0031] FIG. 5a discloses a perspective view of a handle follower and mounting arrangement according to a second embodiment of the invention after mounting;

[0032] FIG. 5b discloses an enlarged perspective view of the mounting arrangement of the area in FIG. 5a denoted with C;

[0033] FIG. 6a discloses a cross-sectional view from the side of the handle follower and mounting arrangement of FIG. 5a after mounting; and

[0034] FIG. 6b discloses an enlarged cross-sectional view of the mounting arrangement of the area in FIG. 6a denoted with D.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] FIG. 1a and 1b disclose a locking device 10 and a mounting arrangement 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The mounting arrangement 1 is mounted in a handle follower 11 that is operatively connected to a bolt operating mechanism for operating a bolt 20 as is well known within the art. Since general operation of a locking device is not within the scope of the present invention, this will not be described in detail in the following except where it is relevant to the present invention.

[0036] Thus, the mounting arrangement 1 comprises a shaft 2 that is mounted in the handle follower 11 by insertion into a central opening 12 in the handle follower 11 (see FIG. 2a). The preferred embodiment of the mounting arrangement 1 comprises a longitudinal groove 21 in which a release member 32 is shown. FIG. 1b and FIG. 2a-2b further disclose a second mounting arrangement 1′ on an opposite side of the locking device 10. A door handle is mountable on each of these mounting arrangements 1, 1′ as is well known within the art. The locking device 10 has a split spindle arrangement wherein each of the mounting arrangements 1, 1′ is mounted in a handle follower 11, 11′ that rotate independently of each other, so that a rotation of one door handle mounted on a mounting arrangement 1, 1′ does not force a corresponding rotation of a door handle mounted on the other mounting arrangement 1, 1′. This is also well known within the art and will not be discussed in more detail. In the following, only one of the mounting arrangements 1, 1′ will be described but it is to be noted that what is said with reference to one mounting arrangement 1, 1′ may equally well be applied to the other. Also, one of the mounting arrangements 1, 1′ according to one embodiment of the invention may also be combined with a mounting arrangement 1, 1′ according to another embodiment as is deemed suitable.

[0037] FIGS. 2a-2b show the mounting arrangement 1 according to the preferred embodiment together with the handle follower 11 having the central opening 12 into which the mounting arrangement 1 can be inserted. In FIG. 2a, the mounting arrangement 1 is shown in an unmounted state, i.e. before mounting or after release from the handle follower 11. The shaft 2 comprises a transversal opening 22 and a longitudinal groove 21 in which a locking member 33 and a release member 32 are at least partly placed. In its most general form, the mounting arrangement according to the present invention comprises a locking member 33 that is biased away from the shaft 2, preferably in an essentially perpendicular direction so that the locking member 33 is pressed towards an inside of the central opening 12 during mounting. In this most general form, the invention also comprises a release member 32 that can be operated, preferably by pressing the release member 32 towards the shaft 2 to act against the bias of the locking member 33 and thereby retract the locking member 33 towards the shaft 2. In this preferred embodiment, the locking member 33 and release member 32 form part of a shaft operator 3 that is a wire spring in this embodiment but that may alternatively be a leaf spring as described below. The main function of the shaft operator 3 is to be firmly attached in one end to the shaft 2 and to provide the biasing force at its other end where the locking member 33 is located. It is advantageous in the preferred embodiment for the shaft operator 3 to be placed into the opening 22 and into the groove 21 so that at least the locking member 33 but preferably both the locking member 33 and the release member 32 are flush with the shaft 2 at insertion into the central opening 12. The opening 22 is in this embodiment transversally arranged on the shaft 2 but may in other embodiments instead be a circular opening, elliptical opening or of any other suitable shape. The shaft 2 has a shaft end that is inserted into the handle follower 11 when mounted. The term shaft operator as used herein denotes a component that comprises both the locking member 33 and the release member 32.

[0038] The locking member 33 or release member 32 or the shaft operator 3 may be attached to the shaft 2 by insertion of a portion of the shaft operator 3 or locking member or release member into a cavity or groove on the shaft 2 where it is held securely, for instance through a biasing force from the portion inside the cavity or groove against walls of the cavity or groove. Other possibilities include a portion of the locking member 32 or release member 33 or the shaft operator 3 being glued, welded or bolted in place on the shaft 2 or in a cavity or groove in the shaft 2.

[0039] When using a bolt to fixate the locking member 32, release member 33 or shaft operator 3, material from the shaft 2 itself can be used or alternatively material from the locking member 32, release member 33 or shaft operator 3 may serve this purpose. Alternatively, a separate bolt can be added and used in this way.

[0040] The bolting can be done so that the locking member 32 or release member 33 or alternatively the shaft operator 3 is attached to an upper side of the shaft 2 or to a side or bottom of the groove 21, or alternatively the locking member 32 or release member 33, or the shaft operator 3, can extend through the shaft 2 and be fixed to a bottom or side of the shaft 2.

[0041] The groove 21 should be large enough to accommodate the shaft operator 3 or the locking member 32 and release member 33, or alternatively to accommodate at least a part of them.

[0042] FIG. 2b show the mounting arrangement 1 in a mounted state where the locking member 33 locks the shaft 2 in place so that undesired removal is prevented. In the mounted state, the release member 32 extends in a loop above the shaft 2 and is available for releasing the locking member 33 by pressing the loop 32 downwards into the groove 21 so that the shaft 2 can be retracted from the central opening 12.

[0043] In the preferred embodiment, the locking member 33 is moved from a locking position in which the locking member 33 extends from the shaft 2 so that the shaft 2 is prevented from leaving is position in the central opening 12 of the handle follower 11. When the release member 32 is activated, preferably by pressing on the release member 32, the locking member 33 is moved from the locking position to a release position where it is pressed towards the shaft 2 until the locking member 33 is flush with an inner wall of the central opening 12 so that the shaft 2 is no longer prevented from leaving the handle follower 11.

[0044] In this preferred embodiment, and also in the second embodiment described below the locking member 33 is biased towards the locking position and the release member 32 acts against the bias in order to move the locking member 33 into the release position. In another embodiment, however, the locking member could alternatively not be biased towards the locking position but could instead simply be movable between the locking position and the release position by the release member 32. In this embodiment, the locking member 33 could be fixed in the locking position by a catch or blocking member that could be identical with the release member 32 or could be a separate part of the mounting arrangement 1. In another embodiment, the locking member 33 could be biased towards the release position and the release member 32 could instead act against that bias in order to move the locking member 33 into the locking position. A catch or blocking member could be provided for fixating the locking member 33 in the fixed position. Other variants of the present invention are also possible within the scope of the independent claims, as will be readily understood by the skilled person. FIG. 3a shows the mounting arrangement 1 in a cross-sectional view where the groove 21 is shown more clearly. The biasing force is created by a first portion 34 of the shaft operator 3 being inserted into the transversal opening 22 in such a way that a biasing force in a direction of an arrow shown in FIG. 3b is created. The biasing force F may be directed at an angle to a perpendicular direction from the shaft 2, as long as one component of the force F is perpendicular to a surface of the shaft 2. This enables the locking member 33 to be pressed against the handle follower 11 and to be pushed into a cavity in a wall of the central opening 12 or into a play or space provided on an inner side 13 of the handle follower 11 to prevent retraction of the shaft 2 from the handle follower 11. Thus, the shaft operator 3 may be seen as comprising a first portion 34 that fastens the shaft operator 3 to the shaft 2 and a second portion 32, 33 that comprises the release member 32 and the locking member 33 and that is biased towards the handle follower 11 in the mounted state.

[0045] In FIG. 2a-2b the shaft operator 3 is in the form of a wire spring but it is to be noted that the shaft operator 3 could instead be a leaf spring, and that only minor modifications to dimensions of the groove 21, transversal opening 22 and to the cavity, play or space into which the locking member 33 is inserted in the mounted state are required to be able to use the leaf spring instead of the wire spring.

[0046] In one embodiment, the groove 21 and transversal opening 22 could be avoided altogether by instead providing a shaft 2 that is integrated with a locking member 33 and release member 32 that are biased away from the shaft. Alternatively, the shaft 2 could have slightly smaller dimensions so that a shaft operator 3 or some combination of a release member 32 and locking member 33 could be fastened to a surface of the shaft 2 and be able to fit within the central opening 12 of the handle follower 11. Such fastening could be effected through rivets or other suitable means.

[0047] FIG. 4a-4b show the preferred embodiment in the mounted state, where the locking member 33 fits into a cavity 14 in a wall of the central opening 12.

[0048] When mounting arrangements 1, 1′ are mounted from both sides of the locking device the shafts 2, 2′ and handle followers 11, 11′ are still able to rotate independently because of the cavity 14, 14′ that prevent the locking members 33, 33′ from contacting each other. Alternatively, a play can be provided on the inner side 13 of the handle follower 11 to enable this. It is advantageous to remove as little as possible of the surface on the inside of the central opening 12 to maintain strength of the handle follower 11. In some embodiments, it is advantageous to provide the cavity 14 in the form of one cavity on each side of the central opening 12 that is essentially rectangular in shape, thus providing four different cavities 14 so that the mounting arrangement 1 can be mounted regardless of a rotational position of the handle follower 11. In some embodiments, the cavity 14 can be provided in the form of a groove that extends along at least part of a circumference of a wall of the central opening 12 on the inner side 13. This allows for the locking member 33 to extend in any suitable direction from the shaft and does not require that the locking member 33 be provided in a groove 21 or at a given part of the shaft.

[0049] It is to be noted that when it is said herein the when movement of the locking member 33 is described as towards the shaft 2, e.g. in order to move from the locking position to the release position for the preferred embodiment and the second embodiment, the movement towards the shaft 2 is to be understood as a movement towards a central portion of the shaft 2.

[0050] Thus, a movement taking place within a groove 21 in the shaft is said to be in a direction towards the shaft 2 if the movement is performed towards a bottom of the groove. Conversely, a movement away from the shaft 2 is to be understood as a movement that has at least one component in a direction that is perpendicular to a surface of the shaft 2 and that extends in a direction essentially opposite to the direction towards the central portion of the shaft 2. If the shaft 2 is held in a horizontal direction and the locking member 33 is mounted on an upper side of the shaft 2, the direction of movement when moving towards the locking position would be an upwards direction, whereas a movement towards the release position would be a downwards direction.

[0051] FIG. 5a-5b show a second embodiment of the present invention that differs from the preferred embodiment described above mainly in the release member 32 being shaped to lie flush with a surface of the shaft 2. This has the advantage that the mounting arrangement 1 can be combined with any kind of handle (not shown) and that the release member 32 doesn't block the handle during mounting or alternatively that the release member 32 is not inadvertently operated by the handle being fitted too close to the release member 32. Rather, the release member 32 of the second embodiment can be operated in the same way as the release member of the preferred embodiment by applying a force to act against the bias, but the risk of operating the release member 32 by accident is eliminated.

[0052] FIGS. 6a-6b show the second embodiment in the mounted state, especially disclosing that the release member 32 is at least flush with the surface of the shaft 2 but preferably beneath the surface.

[0053] The mounting and dismounting of a mounting arrangement 1 into a locking device 10 will now be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 1a-6b. In order to mount and dismount a mounting arrangement 1 according to other embodiments described above may have to be modified to fit with particular features of those embodiments, as will be readily understood by the skilled person.

[0054] Before mounting in the locking device 10, a bolt operator 3 or alternatively a locking member 33 and release member 32 are mounted on a shaft 2 to form an arrangement 1. This can be performed during manufacture of the arrangement, or alternatively the bolt operator 3 or the locking member 33 and release member 32 can be components that are manufactured, stored and transported separate from the shaft 2 and that are assembled by a person mounting the locking device 10 in a door.

[0055] The arrangement 1 is inserted into the central opening 12 of the handle follower 11, preferably by tilting the shaft 2 with a front end slightly downwards to allow the locking member 33 to enter the central opening 12 despite the bias. As soon as the locking member 33 abuts an inner surface of the central opening 12, the shaft 2 is tilted to extend essentially perpendicular to the locking device 10, i.e. essentially horizontally when the locking device 10 is mounted in a door. The shaft 2 can now be inserted through the central opening 12 and the locking member 33 rests against the inner surface of the central opening 12 during this insertion.

[0056] At end of the insertion, the locking member 33 reaches the cavity 14 or alternatively the play on the inner side 13 of the handle follower 11. Due to the bias, the locking member 33 extends into the cavity 14 or play and thereby prevents retraction of the shaft 2 through the central opening 12. This is the mounted state.

[0057] In the mounted state, a rotation of the shaft 2 will bring the handle follower 11 to rotate as well, thereby transferring a rotational movement from a handle mounted on the shaft 2 to the handle follower 11 that is in turn operatively connected to a bolt operating mechanism for operating a bolt 20.

[0058] When the mounting arrangement 1 is to be removed from the locking device 10, a force is applied to the release member 32 for pushing the release member towards the shaft 2. This is performed by pressing a finger on a loop such as is shown by the preferred embodiment or by pressing any suitable object against the release member 32 inside the groove 21 as shown by the second embodiment. When the release member 32 is pressed down towards the shaft 2, the locking member 33 is at the same time pressed towards the shaft 2 and is thereby released from the cavity 14 or play on the inner side 13 of the handle follower 11. As soon as the locking member 33 has been pressed down to be completely released, either by being flush with the surface of the shaft 2 or by being retracted towards the shaft a sufficient distance to be able to contact the inner surface of the central opening 12, the shaft 2 can be removed from the handle follower 11 by retraction along the central opening 12. As soon as the shaft 2 has started its movement so that the locking member 33 no longer can enter the cavity 14 or play on the inner side 13 of the handle follower 11, the pressure against the release member 32 is no longer required to enable release of the shaft 2.

[0059] It is to be noted that features from the various embodiments described herein may freely be combined, unless it is explicitly stated that such a combination would be unsuitable.