Lock assembly

In combination with a door system for a transit vehicle, said door system having a sliding door movable between a fully closed position and an open position, a lock mechanism for selectively locking said sliding door in said fully closed position and for releasing said sliding door for movement into said open position, said lock mechanism comprising:

• (a) a stationary base member;
• (b) a lock cam having a notch formed therein for slideably engaging and receiving a locking element attached to said sliding door and extending outwardly therefrom toward said notch, whereby said sliding door while moving toward said fully closed position causes said locking element to engage said notch and pivot said lock cam in a direction for securing said locking element in a locked position, said lock cam pivotable in an opposed direction for releasing said locking element from said locked position and for enabling movement of said sliding door toward said open position, said first lock cam further having a first lock portion formed on an outer edge thereof;
• (c) a first pivot means for pivotally connecting said lock cam to said base member;
• (d) a first urging means engageable with said lock cam for urging said lock cam to pivot in said opposed direction for releasing said locking element;
• (e) a lock lever operable to engage with a second lock portion thereof said first lock portion of said lock cam for overcoming urging of said first urging means and for preventing pivoting of said lock cam in said opposed direction;
• (f) a second pivot means for pivotally connecting said lock lever to said base member;
• (g) a second urging means for urging said second lock portion of said lock lever for engagement with said first lock portion of said first lock cam;
• (h) an elongated link having a first end thereof pivotally connected to said lock lever;
• and
• (i) a lock actuator stationary attached to said base member, said lock actuator having an output member thereof connected to a second end of said elongated link, whereby activation of said lock actuator causes said output member thereof to pivot said lock lever in a direction to disengage said second lock portion thereof from engagement with said first lock portion of said lock cam enabling said first urging means to pivot said lock cam in said opposed direction for releasing said locking element from said locked position, and whereby deactivation of said lock actuator enables said second urging means to return said second lock portion of said lock lever into engagement with said first lock portion of said lock cam.

In combination with a door system for a transit vehicle, said door system having a first sliding door movable between a first fully closed position and a first open position and a second sliding door movable in tandem with said first sliding door between a second fully closed position and a second open position, a lock mechanism for selectively locking said first door in said first fully closed position and for releasing said first door for movement into said first open position, said lock mechanism further for selectively locking said second door in said second fully closed position and for releasing said second door for movement into said second open position, said lock mechanism comprising:

• (a) a stationary base member;
• (b) a first lock cam having a first notch formed therein for slideably engaging and receiving a first locking element attached to said first door and extending outwardly therefrom toward said first notch, whereby said first door while moving toward said first fully closed position causes said first locking element to engage said notch and pivot said first lock cam in a direction for securing said first locking element in a first locked position, said first lock cam pivotable in an opposed direction for releasing said first locking element from said first locked position and for enabling movement of said first door toward said first open position, said first lock cam further having a lock portion formed on an outer edge thereof;
• (c) a first pivot means for pivotally connecting said first lock cam to said base member;
• (d) a first lock lever operable to engage with a lock portion thereof said lock portion of said first lock cam for preventing its pivoting in said opposed direction;
• (e) a second pivot means for pivotally connecting said first lock lever to said base member;
• (f) a first pivoting means engageable with said first lock cam for pivoting it in said opposed direction and releasing said first locking element from said first locked position;
• (g) a first urging means for urging said lock portion of said first lock lever for engagement with said lock portion of said first lock cam;
• (h) a second lock cam having a second notch formed therein for slideably engaging and receiving a second locking element attached to said second door and extending outwardly therefrom toward said second notch, whereby said second door while moving toward said second fully closed position causes said second locking element to engage said second notch and pivot said second lock cam in a direction for securing said second locking element in a second locked position, said second lock cam pivotable in an opposed direction for releasing said second locking element from said second locked position and for enabling movement of said second door toward said second open position, said second lock cam further having a lock portion formed on an outer edge thereof;
• (i) a third pivot means for pivotally connecting said second lock cam to said base member;
• (j) a second lock lever operable to engage with a lock portion thereof said lock portion of said second lock cam;
• (k) a forth pivot means pivotally connecting said second lock lever to said base member;
• (l) a second pivoting means engageable with said second lock cam for pivoting it to release said second locking element from said second locked position;
• (m) a second urging means for urging said lock portion of said second lock lever for engagement with said lock portion of said second lock cam;
• (o) a first link having a first end thereof connected to said first lock lever;
• (p) a second link having a first end thereof connected to said second lock lever;
• and
• (p) a lock actuator stationary attached to said base member, said lock actuator having a movable output portion thereof connected to a second end of each of said first and second links, whereby activation of said lock actuator causes said output portion thereof to pivot each of said first and second lock levers in a direction to disengage a respective lock portion thereof from engagement with said lock portion of a respective lock cam and enables said first and second pivoting means to pivot said respective lock cam in said direction for releasing a respective locking element from its locked position, and whereby deactivation of said lock actuator enables said first and second urging means to return said lock portion of a respective lock lever into engagement with said lock portion of said respective lock cam.