GB2176233A - Push-button combination lock - Google Patents

Abstract

The lock comprises hidden slidable control bodies (4) which are each biased by springs (73) into a first stable position but can be held by spring detents (83) in a second stable position. The push buttons (2) can be actuated to move these bodies, but are biased by springs (23) into positions which do not identify the stable positions of the respective bodies. The bodies have grooves (43) which can be aligned for receiving a slide (5) to permit opening of the lock. Some of the grooves are in the slide-receiving position in the first stable position and others in the second stable position. Resetting means (8) is provided to release the detents. In addition to the push buttons at one side of the lock, there are push members (65) at the opposite side of the lock for moving the bodies. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Push-button type combination lock The present invention relates to a push-button type combination lock which may be installed on a door.

The conventional push button locks can be divided into two kinds, as follows: (1) Each push button moves a trigger which in turn moves a steel ball corresponding to a hole in a hidden control body. The steel balls are spring-urged to engage the holes to hold the respective control bodies depressed on depression of the push buttons. The defects of this kind of push-button lock are the complicated construction of high costs of production and problems due to wrong positioning of the steel balls.

(2) Each control body has a ferric block and corresponding magnets are provided. The control bodies are held in the depressed positions by magnetic attraction. Assembly of this lock is difficult and time consuming so that production costs are high. Furthermore, the control bodies may move by vibration even while they are held by magnetic force so that problems of malfunction can arise.

The present invention provides an improved lock which requires the correct combination to be set in order to open the lock from either side of a closed door.

The present invention provides a push-button type combination lock comprising a pluraiity of hidden slidable control bodies movable between first and second stable positions by means of respective push button, the buttons being biased into given positions which are not indicative of the positions of the control bodies, a slide movable transversely of the direction of movement of the control bodies to open the lock, the control bodies having grooves which can be aligned for receiving the slide to permit opening movement, some of the grooves being in the slide-receiving positions in one of the stable positions of the respective bodies and the others of the grooves being in the slide-receiving positions in the other of the stable positions, means for resetting the bodies all to the stable positions, and means at the opposite side of the lock to said push-buttons for moving the bodies between the stable positions for aligning said grooves to permit opening of the lock.

Reference is now made to the attached drawings.

Figure 1 is a fragmented perspective view of a lock according to the present invention; Figure 2 illustrates the relation between an opening slider and slidable control bodies; Figure 3 illustrates a push plate and a control body; Figure 4 illustrates movement of unlocking buttons; and Figure 5 illustrates movement of a reset button.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the lock shown comprises a top cover 1, push buttons 2, a main body 6, an opening slider 5, a lower plate 7 and a reset slider 8. There are holes 11, 12 and 13 through the top cover 1, including at respective ends, larger holes, an unlocking hole 13 and a reset hole 12. Push buttons 2 are inserted into the smaller holes 11, each button having a flange to prevent withdrawal of the button through its hole in one direction. A reset button 21 is inserted in the reset hole 12, and an unlocking button 22 is placed in the unlocking hole 13. There is a spring 23 between each push button 11 and a locating depression 31 in the upper plate 3.

Each depression 31 has a hole 32 for receiving an outer actuating boss 41 on a hidden control body 4. Each outer boss 41 passes through a respective hole 32 in the upper plate 3 so that the tip of the boss 41 contacts a respective push button 2, so that, when a push button 2 is depressed, the corresponding control body 4 is also depressed, and when the push button 2 is released, the button 2 returns to its original position due to reaction of the corresponding spring 23.

Each hidden control body 4 is slidable within a respective opening 61 in the main body 6. Each body 4 has an axial groove 42 and a transverse groove 43 in two opposite side faces. Each axial groove 42 is provided above the transverse groove 43 in the same side face. The axial grooves 42 at both sides are in corresponding positions at each side, but the transverse grooves 43 are not on the same level, i.e. at different spacings from the axial ends.

The control body 4 has an inner boss 45 at its inner end. A recess 44 is provided in a side of the inner boss 45. There is an elongate rectangular slot extending into the main body 6 from a side thereof for receiving the slider 5. The slider has teeth 52 spaced along its longitudinal edges and a projecting cam 51 on each of its faces. One of the cams 51 engages with a cam surface of the unlocking button 22, so that, when the unlocking button 22 is depressed, the cam surfaces cause the slider 5 to move in a direction perpendicular to the movement of the unlocking button 22.

The further cam 51 on the opposite face similarly co-operates with a button 22 operable from the opposite side of the lock. At the bottom of the opening slider there is a block 53 (Fig. 5) which is received in a guiding groove 62 in the main body 6.

The unlocking slider 5 can only be moved in the main body 6 when the transverse grooves 43 of all of the actuating bodies 4 align with the teeth 52 of the unlocking slider 5, and the alignment is controlled by the position of the control bodies 4.

There are elongate openings 63 at both lateral sides of the main body 6 adjacent re spective openings 61. Side covers 64 are fixed to the main body to conceal the elongate openings 63. There is a space between each side cover 64 and the main body 6 receiving an elongate push plate relating to each respective control body 4. An end of each push plate 65 is exposed beyond the space enclosed by the side cover 64 and the main body 6 and there is a lug 651 near the other end. The lug 651 is located in an elongate slot 661 (Fig. 3) at an end of a driving plate 66. The driving plate 66 is centrally pivoted between the main body 6 and the side cover 64 by a pin 67 passing through a hole in the plate. The driving plate 66 has another elongate slot 663 near its opposite other end. A driven plate 68 is located close to the main body 6.The driven plate 68 has lugs 681 at opposite sides, one of the lugs 681 being received within the elongate slot 663, and another lug 681 being received within an elongate slot 63 of the main body 6. When the corresponding control body 4 is within the main body 6, one of the lugs 681 of the driven plate 68 is engaged in the adjacent transverse groove 42 of the control body 4 so that when the push plate 65 is depressed, the driven plate 68 is moved consequently and the lugs 681 move the control body 4.

The control bodies 4, therefore, can be moved by either depressing the corresponding push plate 65 or the corresponding push button 2, enabling the lock to be operated from both sides.

There is a lower plate 7 below the main body 6 having a plurality of openings 71 which correspond to the openings 71 which correspond to the openings 61 of the main body 6. Cushion washers 72 receive the inner bosses 45 on the control bodies 4, are received in the holes 71 and serve as abutments for springs 73. A plate cover 74 is fitted to the bottom of the lower plate 7 and has holes receiving the inner bosses 45. The springs 73 are located in the openings 71 and captivated by the lower plate cover 74.

The lowest element at the bottom of the lock, as illustrated, is a bottom plate 85 which forms a shallow rectanguiar channel with the lower plate cover 74 for receiving the reset slider 8. The reset slider 8 has openings 81 corresponding to the round holes in the lower plate cover 74. Each opening 81 has a shoulder section 82 at one .side. The bottom plate 85 has projecting blocks 86 corresponding to the openings 81. When the bottom plate 85 is engaging with the reset slider 8, the blocks 86 extend into the openings 81. An end of a respective spring 84 is mounted on each block 86 an the opposite end is fixed to a detent 83, urging the latter towards the shoulder section 82. Each detent 83 of the reset siider 8 is able to move independently.However, if the reset slider 8 is moved, the shoulder section 82 moves the detent 83 to compress the spring 84. When the recess 44 in the side of each control body 4 is aligned with the detent 83, the corresponding spring 84 urges the detent 83 to engage in the recess to hold the control body against axial movement. When the reset slider 8 is moved, the fixing piece 83 is moved consequentially, and the control body 4 is released and returns to its original position under the action of spring 73. Since an end of the spring 84 is fixed to the block 86 of the bottom plate 85 and another end to the fixing piece 83, movement of the reset slider 8 will compress the spring 84 via the detent 83. When the reset slider is released, the reaction of the spring 84 returns the reset slider 8 to its original position.Furthermore, the reset slider 8 has a cam 88 near one end which co-operates with a cam of the reset button 21, so that, when the reset button 21 is depressed, the reset slider 8 is moved in its channel. The reset slider 8 can also be moved by pulling on a pulling member 89 (Fig. 5).

Referring to Fig. 3, there are transverse grooves 43 at opposite sides of each control body 4 at different heights. When all the transverse grooves 43 facing the teeth 52 of the opening slider 5 are aligned with the teeth, either unlocking button 22 can be pressed to move the opening slider 5. The alignment of the transverse grooves 43 with the opening slider 5 is only possible with some control bodies held by the detents 83 and others released, because some of the bodies have higher grooves 43 facing the opening slider whereas others have lower grooves 43 facing the opening slider. The push buttons 2 carry different number and it is necessary to know the right combination of numbers to press in order to permit opening of the lock.

Referring to Fig. 5, after pressing the push buttons 2 representing the number combination, since the transverse grooves 43 are aligned with the opening slider 5, depression of the unlocking button 22 can move the opening slider 5 to open the lock. Whenever it is necessary to preset another number combination, the bottom plate 85 and the lower plate 7 are removed to reposition the control bodies 4.

From the opposite side of the lock, the control bodies can be set by means of the push plates 65. Movement of the control bodies is achieved by means of the lugs 681 engaging in the axial slots 42 of the bodies.

Once the door has been unlocked, the reset slider is moved by means of the reset button 21 or the pulling member 89 to release all of the control bodies.

Claims (4)

1. A push-button type combination lock comprising a plurality of hidden slidable control bodies movable between first and second stable positions by means of respective push button, the buttons being biased into given positions which are not indicative of the positions of the control bodies, a slide movable transversely of the direction of movement of the control bodies to open the lock, the control bodies having grooves which can be aligned for receiving the slide to permit opening movement, some of the grooves being in the slide-receiving positions in one of the stable positions of the respective bodies and the others of the grooves being in the slide-receiving positions in the other of the stable positions, means for resetting the bodies all to one of the stable positions, and means at the opposite side of the lock to said push-buttons for moving the bodies between the stable positions for aligning said grooves to permit opening of the lock.

2. A two-side operation push-button type door lock comprising of a top cover at its upper most with a plurality of openings for holding push buttons, a plurality of push buttons within the said openings and springs beneath the push buttons; an upper cover beneath the top cover; a main body below the upper plate with a plurality of openings in the main body arranged in positions corresponding to the aforesaid openings for push buttons; control bodies each with upper and lower bosses, and transverse grooves of different heights at both sides placed within the aforesaid openings; opening slider in the main body corresponding to the said transverse grooves; and reset slider for fixing the control bodies and returning the control bodies to their original positions; and characterised by a structure that there are longitudinal grooves on the upper side at both lateral sides of the control bodies corresponding to lugs in the aforesaid transverse grooves which are located on a side of a driven plate having another lug on its other side being kept within an slot at an end of a driving plate which is hinged to the main body so that the driving plate can rotate with the hinged part as a pivot, and there is another slot with a lug in it at another end of the driving plate, the lug is fixed to a push plate so that whenever the push plate is pushed, an end of the driving plate moves downwards, and its other end moves upwards with the hinged part as a pivot to activate the lugs to move the control bodies.

3. A two-side operating push-button type door lock according to Claim 1 wherein the reset slider has a plurality of openings on its surface, beneath the reset slider is a bottom plate with blocks corresponding to the said openings so that when the bottom plate and the reset place meet each other, the blocks are positioned within the said openings, and above each block there is a spring with an end connected to a detent and another end pushing against a shoulder section of the said opening by tension of the said spring so that while the reset slider is pulled, the detents are moved but movement of an individual detent will not move other detent for individual operation of the control body.

4. A push-button type combination lock substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.