SECURE CLOSURE

Abstract

A security door lock with a hinged door and a locking assembly. The door jamb has a number of apertures formed in a bolt receiving side of the jamb to receive a corresponding number of door bolts extendable from an outer free edge of the door. The locking assembly has a barrier panel spaced from the jamb to define a narrow longitudinal slot is adapted to receive a door guard member extending normally from an internal surface of the door adjacent the outer free edge, and is reinforced by the barrier panel against lateral flexing or distortion. A handle mechanism controls the lateral movement of the closure and the retraction or extension of the locking bolts.

Claims

1. A secure closure having a security door lock comprising: a jamb defining a closure space defined by the jamb's first and second side edges and the jambs top and bottom edges, the closure space extending in a closure plane between the first, second, top and bottom edges; a hinge for mounting the closure on a hinged side near the first edge of the jamb, the closure having an exterior that extends in a door plane; and a locking bolt extendable from a free edge of the closure and receivable in a closed position in or near a second edge of the jamb, wherein: the second edge includes a first outer wall and, spaced therefrom, a barrier panel aligned in a second plane substantially perpendicular to the closure plane and adapted to extend substantially the full length of the second edge; a door guard member is adapted to extend from the closure at or near a free edge of the closure remote from and opposed to the hinged side; the door guard member lies substantially in a guard plane extending transverse to the door plane; the door guard member extends substantially the full length of the free edge; the barrier member extends across the second edge in the second plane substantially parallel to the door guard member with the closure in the closed position, thereby forming, between the barrier member and the jamb, a slot facing outwardly and into which part or all of the door guard member can be received; and the path of travel of the locking bolt is adapted to intersect the barrier member and the door guard member in the closed position.

2. The secure closure of claim 1, wherein the door jamb forms part of a body that is made of two sheets of metal plate folded to: (a) form wall, floor, ceiling plates and corners of the container; and (b) reinforce and form the jamb.

3. The secure container of claim 1, wherein the closure has an exterior layer of metal extending across the front of the closure that is continuous with the guard member.

4. The secure closure of claim 1, wherein the closure has a lock assembly mounted on an internal face of the closure.

5. The secure closure of claim 1, wherein the closure has a lock assembly housed in an internal box forming a cavity and part of the closure.

6. The secure closure of claim 1, wherein the hinged end of the closure is opposed and parallel to the free end.

7. The secure closure of claim 1, wherein each of the locking bolts: (a) includes an elongate shaft; (b) is actuated by a rotating mechanism operable by a rotatable handle; and (c) is adapted to reciprocally travel back and forth.

8. The secure closure of claim 7, wherein the guard member is aligned in a plane transverse to the direction of reciprocal travel of the locking bolts.

9. The secure closure of claim 1, wherein the closure is formed substantially of two sheets of metal and the guard member is formed from part of one of the two sheets of metal.

10. The secure closure of claim 9, wherein the two sheets of metal substantially forming the closure are at least in part superimposed on each other.

11. The secure closure of claim 1, wherein the guard member is formed from angle plating.

12. The secure closure of claim 1, wherein the guard member provides a guard with intermittent gaps to accommodate corresponding bracing studs extending between the second edge of the jamb and the barrier panel.

13. The secure closure of claim 1, wherein, in the closed position, one or more lateral reinforcing studs extend across the slot between the barrier panel and the jamb to permit the guard member to enter into the slot, with the continuity of the guard member along the length of the free end being interrupted by gaps accommodating each of the lateral studs.

15. The secure closure of claim 1, wherein the slot is continuous without interruption along the length of the barrier member.

16. The secure closure of claim 1, wherein the closure is mounted to a multi-hinge device that permits the closure to reciprocally travel substantially in a plane corresponding to the opening.

17. The secure closure of claim 16, wherein the reciprocal travel of the closure is lateral and the entire barrier panel is widely spaced from the second edge of the jamb to accommodate the lateral travel of the guard member corresponding to the lateral travel of the closure.

18. The secure closure of claim 17, wherein the hinge device has hinges aligned in first and second axes and the second axis of the hinge device moves laterally relative to the opening and between a position in the interior and well spaced from the first edge and a position adjacent the first edge.

19. The secure closure of claim 16, wherein a handle mechanism controls the lateral movement of the closure and the retraction or extension of the locking bolts by means of a central rotating plate and connecting linkages.

20. A secure closure adapted to form part of a safe box comprising: a jamb defining an opening in a body of the container; a closure hingedly mounted on a hinged end to the body on or near a first edge of the jamb, the closure having an open position and a closed position; a plurality of locking bolts extendable from a free end of the closure and receivable in the body on or near a second edge of the jamb in the closed position, a guard member adapted to extend substantially a full length of the second edge and into the container's interior from the closure substantially in a plane transverse to the general plane of the closure; a barrier panel, all of which extends substantially parallel to the guard member with the closure in the closed position, thereby forming, between the entire barrier panel and the jamb, a slot into which part or all of the guard member can be received; the path of travel of the locking bolts are adapted to intersect the barrier panel and the guard member at multiple spaced locations along the length of the free end and the second edge in the closed position; and a channel including the barrier panel, the entire barrier panel being spaced from the jamb to define a slot along substantially the entire length of the second edge into which part or all of the guard member can be received.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, in which:

[0050] FIG. 1a is a perspective view of a locking assembly according to a first embodiment of the invention;

[0051] FIGS. 1b and 1c are a perspective views of a free end of a safe door according to the first embodiment;

[0052] FIGS. 1d-1e are a perspective views of a free end of a safe door according to the first embodiment and the associated door jamb;

[0053] FIGS. 2a-2e are perspective views of the free end and the associated door jamb of a second embodiment;

[0054] FIG. 2f is a perspective view of the barrier panel of the second embodiment;

[0055] FIG. 2g is a perspective view of the door jamb of the second embodiment;

[0056] FIGS. 2h-2j are perspective views of the left, rear and rights sides of the second embodiment shown with the door closed;

[0057] FIGS. 2k-2l are upper perspective views of the guard member of the second embodiment;

[0058] FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional plan view of the lock assembly of the first embodiment;

[0059] FIG. 4a is a partial side view of a hinge device according to a third embodiment;

[0060] FIG. 4b is a partial side view of a hinge device according to a fourth embodiment;

[0061] FIG. 5 is a sectional plan view of a handle mechanism and the hinge device according to the third embodiment;

[0062] FIGS. 6a-d is a sectional plan view of the hinge device and locking assembly according to the third embodiment showing the sequence of steps in moving the door from a closed to an open position;

[0063] FIG. 7 is a schematic side sectional view of the handle and locking mechanisms according to the third embodiment and

[0064] FIG. 8 is a schematic top plan and sectional view of the security door lock shown in FIG. 2f.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0065] Preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention, except as may be recited in the claims accompanying this specification.

[0066] Referring to FIGS. 1a-1f, a first embodiment is shown in which a gun safe 10 has a container body 20 (shown in open form with just a frame to display internal components and features) defining an internal container space or cavity 21, a hinged door 40 and a locking assembly 60. The safe 10 is a substantially rectangular-shaped block for the body 20, having a base 22, a rear wall 23, a pair of side walls 24 and a top 25, all defining the cavity 21, and an opening 26 defined by a door jamb 27.

[0067] The container body 20 has a number of apertures 29 formed in a bolt-receiving side 28 of the jamb 27 to receive a corresponding number of door bolts 61 extendable from a free end 41 of the door 40.

[0068] The locking assembly 60 has a rolled channel section 70 comprising a first arm 71 of the channel 70 that is welded top, middle and bottom of the length of the channel 70 to the body 20. The channel 70 has a second arm constituting a barrier panel 72 spaced from the first arm 71 and/or the jamb 27 a small distance of say 3-10 mm whereby to define a narrow longitudinal slot 73.

[0069] The slot 73 is adapted to receive a guard member 43 formed from multiple lengths of L-angle iron with one arm 44 of the angle iron welded to the internal surface of the door 40 adjacent the free end 41. The guard member 43 has interruptive gaps 45 spaced along its length. The gaps 45 are positioned to receive corresponding stud braces 74 extending across the channel 70 from the door jamb 27 to the barrier panel 72, whereby to reinforce the barrier panel against lateral flexing or distortion by providing a bracing strap for added strength. The free end 76 of the barrier panel 72 is also folded for extra strength against lateral forces.

[0070] The door includes a translation mechanism for the bolts 61i that is housed in an internal housing 40ai and further includes top and bottom guard flanges 43ai to protect the door lock assembly 20i,40i,60i from upper or lower attack, respectively.

[0071] When the door 40 is closed, the door bolts 61 come into registration of the bolt bore apertures 29. Corresponding apertures 47,77 are formed at the appropriate places along the respective lengths of the guard member 43 and the barrier panel 72. Therefore, on actuation of a rotatable handle mechanism 48 located on the exterior 49 of the door 40, the door bolts 61 and travel home along a linear pathway in registration with the apertures 29,47,77. The safe 10 is, of course, lockable by any of various means, such as a conventional lock requiring a key or a combination lock.

[0072] The position of the guard member 43 adjacent a line where the closed door 40 and the second edge 28 meet makes the insertion and successful jimmying at the line extremely difficult. Not only are the body 20 and the door 40 made of heavy plate metal resistant to distortion, but the free end 41 is reinforced by the door guard member 43, which in turn is strengthened in the closed door 40 position by the barrier panel 72, which is also strengthened against lateral distortion by the stud braces 74.

[0073] In FIGS. 2a-2l, a second embodiment is shown in which like features are labelled with like reference numerals with the addition of i. The second embodiment does not include the stud braces 74, and therefore the guard member 43i is continuous in length substantially the full length of the second edge 41i. Accordingly, the guard member 43i is marginally stronger than the guard member 43, particularly at and around the gaps 45, but the trade off is that the barrier panel 72i is marginally less resistant to lateral forces.

[0074] The door 40i and opening 26i may not extend the full length of the safe 10i, but rather there may be a smaller opening positioned at the bottom, mid or top region of the container. Where the opening and door are substantially smaller than the overall length of the container, gains in economy of manufacture and increased strength may be achieved relative to a full-length door. A solid front extension wall 80i is preferably used to form the remainder of the front wall including the door. This is because a smaller door offers less leverage compared to a longer door. Of course, the size of the opening 26i is determined by the items to be housed in the safe 10i, so that a full-length door may be required for long items, such as long-barreled rifles.

[0075] The door 40i is mounted on hinges 30i which comprise pins 31i at the top 32i and bottom 33i edges of the door 40i and cooperate with corresponding pin apertures 34i (obscured in FIGS. 2a-2l) formed in the respective top 35i and bottom 36i of the door jamb 27 at a first hinge end 37i (obscured in FIGS. 2a-2l), so that the door 40i swings through an arcuate path rotating about a single and stationary axis 39i.

[0076] Referring particularly to FIGS. 2f and 8, a door guard member 43i extends from a base 42i at or near an internal surface of the door 40i. An exterior panel 49i of the door 40i extends in the door plane P1 beyond the base 42i to form an outer free edge 44i, so that the door guard member 43i forms a flange extending normal to the exterior 49i and in a direction opposite to the exterior's 49i face.

[0077] A pair of perpendicular walls 27i,11i of the second edge 28i define a stepped recess 12i adapted to receive the outer free edge 44i. The outer facing wall 11i lies in a plane substantially parallel to the closure plane P and the inner face of the outer free edge 44i is adapted to abut against it in the closed position. The outer facing wall 11i forms part of a post 14i behind which the bolts 61 extend in the closed position, further trapping the bolts 61, in addition to the operation of the barrier panel 72i.

[0078] Between the barrier panel 72i and the post 14i is defined a long, narrow slot 73i, at least sufficient in width to receive the door guard member 43i at the end of its arc of rotation R about the hinge device into the closed position. The door guard member 43i is substantially coterminous with the barrier panel 72i in length. In the closed position, the door guard member 43i and the barrier panel 72i include holes 47i that are registered to receive a fully extended bolt 61i.

[0079] The outer free edge 44i, nested in the recess 12i, provides a first defence against prying tools. The door post 14i provides a second defence. The interlocking of the door guard member 43i, barrier panel 72i and the inserted bolts 61i make unauthorised opening of the closure 40i extremely difficult.

[0080] Turning to FIGS. 3-5, the safe 10 includes the closure 40 engaged by the locking assembly 60 with the body 20. The closure includes an internal box or housing 40ai that houses the locking mechanism 60 and parts of the handle assembly 48 and a crank and linkage for the hinge device 30 (not shown). The housing 40ai partially houses the locking bolt 61 that is adapted to reciprocate along a linear pathway through registered apertures 29,47 formed in the guard and barrier members 43,70, respectively. In the sectional plan view, it can be seen that the second edge 28 is folded to achieve an outwardly facing channel 28a that is adapted to receive a vertically aligned inwardly facing free side flange 42. The flange 42 is formed from one folded external metal layer 46 and a folded edge that is continuous with the guard member 43. The flange 42 forms a first defence against unauthorised intrusion. The combination of the guard and barrier members 43,70 provide a second defence against approaches through the second edge 28a.

[0081] In FIG. 5, there is provided a preferred dual axis hinge assembly 130 adapted to permit a door 140 to reciprocally translate fore and aft along a substantially linear pathway substantially parallel to the general plane P of the opening 126 in which the closed door 126 lies as shown in FIG. 6a. The hinge device 130 includes a set of hinges 137, including first pair of hinges 130a pivotable about a first hinge axis A.sub.1. The spaced hinges of the first pair of hinges 130a are separated by a vertical rod 132 to which a crank arm 131 is operably connected to cause the door 140 to travel relative to the hinge axis A.sub.1 upon the rotation of a linked handle 148 (see FIGS. 5 and 6a). The hinge device 137 includes a second pair of hinges 130b rotated about a second axis A.sub.2 spaced from and parallel to the axis A.sub.1. the second pair of hinges 130b are either fastened through brackets 133 to the upper and lower regions of the internal surface of the door 140 at the hinge end or the hinges 130b are welded to the internal door surface 149.

[0082] As best seen in FIGS. 6a and 7, the locking mechanism 160 includes a central plate 162 rotatable about a shaft 163 to which the handle 148 is operably connected. The central plate 162 controls the movement of both the hinge device 130 and hence the door 140, as well as the locking mechanism 160, which involves the reciprocating translation of the upper and lower bolts 161a,b along substantially linear pathways L.sub.1,L.sub.2, respectively by the control of parallel and coacting linkages 164a,b. The lower linkage 164b extends from the central plate 162, to which it is hingedly joined, to a linked inner end of the lower bolt 161b whereby clockwise rotation of the central plate 162 (anticlockwise rotation of the handle 148) causes the lower bolt 161b to travel outwardly along path L.sub.2 towards insertion through the guard member 143.

[0083] The central plate 162 coacts with an upper rotational plate 165 for identical rotational movement by means of a rigid linkage arm 166 hingedly connected at either end to the plates 162,165, so that the pair of bolts 161a,b move in unison, parallel and to the same extent along respective paths L.sub.1,L.sub.2.

[0084] The guard member 143 is adapted, with the opening and closing of the door 140, to move into and out of the slot 173 defined by the second edge 128 and the barrier member 170. The barrier member 170 is spaced wide from the second edge 128 by a distance corresponding to the extent of travel of the door 140 (and hence the guard member 143).

[0085] FIGS. 6b-c show, in sketch form, the movement of the bolts 161 and the door 140 in first retracting towards the hinged end (corresponding to the hinge device 137) until the guard member 143 is clear of the second edge 128 and the bolts 161 have exited the respective apertures 177 and 147 of the barrier and guard members 170, 143. The cavity of the container body 120 can then be accessed.

[0086] As shown in FIG. 7, the locking mechanism 160 includes a lock-controlled detent or pawl 167 that is spring biased to an upwardly extended position and is deflectable to allow the passage of a mutual cam surface 168 of the central plate 162 to allow the detent to spring into engagement with a complementary notch 169 formed in the exterior of the central plate 162 to lock same in place. A locking means, such as a conventional key or combination lock is used to retract the pawl 167 to release the central plate 162 for rotation and the opening of the safe 110.

[0087] In another embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the closure 240 is hung on and supported by a single axis hinge device 230. The hinge device 240 is adapted to permit rotation of the closure 240 at or near a first hinged edge about a stationary axis A1. The hinge device 230 includes at least two hinges 230a that are in coaxial alignment. The hinge device 230 is mounted by hinge knuckle joints and plates at or near the first edge of a jamb 237 and to a surface of the closure 240 not exposed when the closure 240 is closed. Throughout the specification and claims the word comprise and its derivatives are intended to have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. That is, the word comprise and its derivatives will be taken to indicate the inclusion of not only the listed components, steps or features that it directly references, but also other components, steps or features not specifically listed, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise.

[0088] In the present specification, terms such as apparatus, means, device and member may refer to singular or plural items and are terms intended to refer to a set of properties, functions or characteristics performed by one or more items or components having one or more parts. It is envisaged that where an apparatus, means, device or member or similar term is described as being a unitary object, then a functionally equivalent object having multiple components is considered to fall within the scope of the term, and similarly, where an apparatus, assembly, means, device or member is described as having multiple components, a functionally equivalent but unitary object is also considered to fall within the scope of the term, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise.

[0089] Orientational terms used in the specification and claims such as vertical, horizontal, top, bottom, upper and lower are to be interpreted as relational and are based on the premise that the component, item, article, apparatus, device or instrument will usually be considered in a particular orientation, typically with the top 25 uppermost.

[0090] The meaning of descriptive, precise or absolute terms such as flexed, normal, parallel, horizontal, vertical or fully includes the preceding qualifier substantially or almost, unless the context or contrary is expressly indicated.

[0091] Qualifying relative terms, such as relatively, sufficiently, near, almost or substantially, may be taken to indicate a variation in an absolute value of between 0 and 10 or between 0% and 10%, relative to the absolute value. For example, near horizontal may be taken to mean any orientation between 0 and 10 relative to the horizontal.

[0092] In the present specification, the term integral means formed of one body in a single process. In particular, the term integrally formed means formed of the one body without post-forming attachment of separately formed component parts. That is, integrally formed and the similar term unitarily formed mean formed in a single forming process and do not include post-forming attachment of component parts by means of fastener or other component fixing substances or methods.

[0093] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made to the methods of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.