US 5,951,068 AGranted

Lock for sliding door

AssigneeInterlock Group Limited

InventorsNathan Paul Strong, David Nicholas Allum

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Abstract

A lock for the locking of a sliding closure. The lock includes a housing (10) with a pair of hook shaped locking elements (11) which are mounted for counter-rotation within the housing. A handle (26) is mounted for rotation on the housing and is coupled to a gear wheel (23) which meshes with a pair of rack elements (30,32) which are located for sliding movement in the housing (10). A projection (34) from each rack element (30,32) engages in a curved slot (35) of the locking element (11). Consequently, rotation of the handle (26) results in a sliding movement of each of the racks (30,32) which causes the locking elements to move between a first position where the locking elements are substantially retracted in the housing (10) and a second position where the locking elements can latchingly engage with a strike.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A lock comprising

a housing;
a pair of hook shaped locking elements mounted for counter-rotation about spaced apart pivot axis within the housing, each locking element having a free end portion;
moving means for controlled movement of the locking elements from a first position where the locking elements are substantially retracted in the housing and a second position where the locking elements extend from the housing and the free end portions thereof can latchingly engage with a strike, said free end portions of the locking elements extending away from each other in opposite directions, the moving means including a gear wheel drivingly engaged with a pair of rack members, each rack member being drivingly coupled with one of said locking elements
a handle accessible externally of the housing and mounted for movement about an axis of rotation, said axis of rotation being positioned substantially midway between the spaced apart pivot axis of the locking elements;
a latching element engaged with the moving means to prevent actuation unless the lock housing is at a pre-determined disposition to the strike;
and
an actuator which as the lock housing approaches the strike causes the latching element to release the moving means.

4 more elements

A lock including a housing, a pair of hook shaped locking elements mounted for counter-rotation within the housing, moving means for controlled movement of the locking elements from a first position where the locking elements are substantially retracted in the housing and a second position where the locking elements can latchingly engage with a strike, the moving means including a handle accessible externally of the housing and a gear wheel drivingly engaged with drive elements which impart a rotational movement to the respective locking elements upon rotational movement of the handle occurring, there being a latching element which engages with the moving means to prevent actuation thereof unless the lock housing is at a pre-determined disposition to the strike, and an actuator which as the lock housing approaches the strike causes the latching element to release the moving means.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.