Title: Portable security device for doors
Abstract: A portable door locking device. In one embodiment, a door lock may include a base plate configured with a locking wedge and a driver wedge. The base plate may be formed in a U-shaped fashion, thus defining a cut-out region sized to receive the locking and driver wedges. Typically, the locking wedge is pivotally attached to the base plate, permitting rotational movement of the locking wedge about a pivoting axis. In some implementations, the locking wedge comprises a sloped bottom surface that slideably cooperates with a sloped top surface of the driving wedge. In use, the driver wedge may be driven in linear fashion underneath the locking wedge, causing the locking wedge to engage an adjacent door. With the door lock deployed in this manner, the door cannot be readily opened from the outside.
Patent Number: 7,017,959 Issued on 03/28/2006 to Selness
| Inventors:
|
Selness; Jerry N. (4611 Monongahela St., San Diego, CA 92117)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
754791 |
| Filed:
|
January 8, 2004 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
292/293; 292/292 |
| Current Intern'l Class: |
E05C 19/18 (20060101) |
| Field of Search: |
292/290,291,292,293,297,343
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
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| 898685 | Sep., 1908 | Ritter.
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| 1119650 | Dec., 1914 | Simth.
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| 4082335 | Apr., 1978 | Smith.
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| 5291760 | Mar., 1994 | Schrader.
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| 5360245 | Nov., 1994 | David et al.
| |
| 5542723 | Aug., 1996 | Scharf.
| |
| 5556143 | Sep., 1996 | Robinson.
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| 5572768 | Nov., 1996 | Daul.
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| 5581948 | Dec., 1996 | Simonsen.
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| 5582447 | Dec., 1996 | Leon et al.
| |
| 5590928 | Jan., 1997 | Voiculescu.
| |
| 5605364 | Feb., 1997 | Shelledy.
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| 5836628 | Nov., 1998 | Beier.
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| 5845433 | Dec., 1998 | Walsh.
| |
| 6076866 | Jun., 2000 | Prevot et al.
| |
| 6149212 | Nov., 2000 | Kuntz et al.
| |
| 6176882 | Jan., 2001 | Biedermann et al.
| |
| 6244581 | Jun., 2001 | Arnhold.
| |
| 6317922 | Nov., 2001 | Kondratuk.
| |
| 6318137 | Nov., 2001 | Chaum.
| |
Primary Examiner: Estremsky; Gary
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/439,095,
filed 8 Jan. 2003.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A device for securing a door in a closed position, wherein the door when in
the closed position has a gap between the door and the frame, the device comprising,
a base plate formed in a U-shaped configuration, said U-shaped configuration
defining a cut-out region in the base plate;
a locking wedge having a sloped bottom surface;
a driver wedge having a sloped top surface that slidably cooperates with the
sloped bottom surface of the locking wedge; and
means for driving the driving wedge in linear fashion underneath the locking wedge;
said cut-out region is sized to receive the locking and driver wedges and wherein
the locking wedge is pivotally attached to the base plate, thereby permitting rotational
movement of the locking wedge about a pivoting axis, and the linear movement of
the driving wedge with respect to the locking wedge causes the locking wedge to
secure the door in a closed position.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sloped bottom surface of the locking wedge
slopes downward toward the driving wedge.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein said means for driving the driving wedge further
comprises a threaded block mounted on the driver wedge, a threaded block mounted
on the base plate, and a threaded shaft connecting the two threaded blocks.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein the threaded shaft has distal and proximal
threaded regions having opposed thread directions.
5. A security device for a door wherein when the door is in a closed position
there is a gap between the door edge and the door frame, the device comprising:
a base plate comprising a base member having spaced parallel legs extending therefrom;
a drive shaft guide on said base member;
a locking wedge member pivotably connected to said base plate between said legs;
a translatable driver wedge member shaped and configured to pivot said locking
wedge member when moved toward and away from said locking wedge member;
a drive shaft extending through and being linearly movable with respect said
drive shaft guide; and
a block on said driver wedge member for receiving the distal end of said drive
shaft, linear motion of said drive shaft causing movement of said driver wedge
member with respect to said locking wedge member to selectively move said locking
wedge between the locking configuration for forcefully engaging the door edge and
the door frame, and the released configuration for enabling the device to be selectively
inserted into and removed from the gap.
6. The device of claim 5, wherein the locking wedge member pivots with respect
to the base plate about a pivot pin, said pivot pin being disposed in pin cavities
formed near the parallel legs of the base plate.
7. The device of claim 5, wherein the locking wedge further comprises a sloped
top surface and a sloped bottom surface.
8. The device of claim 5, wherein the driver wedge is constructed from two distinct
driver wedge components which are pivotably attached to each other.
9. The device of claim 8, wherein the driver wedge comprises a driver plate and
a further driver wedge pivotably coupled by a pivot.
10. The device of claim 5, further comprising a protrusion plate affixed to either
side of the base plate, the protrusion plate comprising a base and wings that enclose
a portion of the edge of the door.
11. The device of claim 5, wherein the driving means further comprises, selected
from the group consisting of an electric motor, hydraulic pump and hand-actuated lever.
12. The device of claim 11, wherein the electric motor operates in forward and
reverse directions.
13. The device of claim 5, further comprising an alarm device on the base plate,
said alarm signaling movement or attempted forced opening of the door.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to door security devices, and in particular,
to portable door locking devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is often necessary or desirable for a person to be able to ensure their safety
and privacy by locking doors. This is especially true when, for example, a person
is traveling and must stay in a hotel, motel, or other similar temporary accommodation.
Many establishments provide interior security devices such as keyed and keyless
entry locks, dead bolts, and door security chains which may be secured from within
the room by a patron or guest. Although these security devices may provide a particular
level of security in some instances, additional levels of security against unauthorized
entry is commonly desired.
Assorted security devices have been developed to supplement or replace existing
door security devices. Many existing security devices are expensive, and in some
cases, complex to install and remove. Moreover, some security devices require permanent
installation and therefore are not capable of being readily utilized by travelers
who frequently move from one location to another.
While there have been attempts to provide low-cost, effective, portable door
locking devices that can be easily implemented, these attempts have not been entirely
successful. In view of the foregoing, a present need exists for an improved door
locking device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Broadly speaking, the present invention, as set forth in various embodiments,
constitutes apparatus for tightly wedging a door in its frame, thereby making it
very difficult to force open. This wedging effect does not permit any "play" when
a door is closed, adding to the unlikelihood that the door can be jiggled in a
manner that can facilitate unauthorized entry.
The door lock of the invention includes, in one embodiment, a base plate configured
with a locking wedge and a driver wedge. The base plate may be formed in a U-shaped
fashion, thus defining a cut-out region sized to receive the locking and driver
wedges. Typically, the locking wedge is pivotally attached to the base plate, permitting
rotational movement of the locking wedge about a pivoting axis. In some implementations,
the locking wedge comprises a sloped bottom surface that slideably cooperates with
a sloped top surface of the driving wedge. In use, the driver wedge may be driven
in a linear fashion underneath the locking wedge, causing the locking wedge to
engage an adjacent door. With the door lock deployed in this manner, the door cannot
be readily opened from the outside.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, any of a variety of different
mechanisms may be used to drive the driver wedge underneath the locking wedge.
Possible driving mechanisms include, for example, manually operated hand screws,
electrical motors, hydraulic pumps, cam levers, and other similar drive mechanisms.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an alarm device may
be incorporated with the door lock to detect and signal movement or attempted forced entry.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will
become more apparent upon consideration of the following description of preferred
embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIGS. 1A and 1B are top and side views, respectively, of one embodiment of
the present invention;
FIGS. 2A and 2B are top and side views, respectively, of a disassembled door lock;
FIG. 3 is a top view of a door lock in a retracted configuration;
FIG. 4A is a top view of the door lock of FIG. 1 in place in a door gap;
FIG. 4B is a partial perspective view of the door lock in place as in FIG. 4A;
FIGS. 5A and 5B are top and side views, respectively, of an alternative embodiment
of the door lock of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 7A-7C are top, side and end views, respectively, of another alternative
embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a top view of yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 9A-9B are top and side views, respectively, of a door lock of the invention
configured with a locking arm; and
FIG. 10 is a top view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention
optionally configured with an alarm device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the following description of preferred embodiments, reference is made to the
accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show by way of illustration,
specific embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood by those of working
skill in this technological field that other embodiments may be utilized, and structural,
electrical, as well as procedural changes may be made without departing from the
scope of the present invention.
Each embodiment of the invention described herein is useful in securing a door
that swings on one or more hinges from an open position to a closed position in
which the edge of the door opposite its hinged side is adjacent to a door jam with
a clearance gap therebetween. As used herein, the term "door gap" denotes the clearance
gap between a non-hinged side of a door and the adjacent door jam.
FIGS. 1A and 1B are top and side views, respectively, of one embodiment of
the present invention. As shown, door lock
10 generally includes base plate
15 configured with locking wedge
20 and driver wedge
25. Base
plate
15 may be formed in a U-shaped fashion, thus defining cut-out region
30 sized to receive the locking and driver wedges. As shown here, the door
lock of the invention is in its engaging, or locking configuration.
In some embodiments, locking wedge
20 may be pivotally attached to base
plate
15 using, for example, pivot pins
35. However, the invention
is not so limited and alternative attachment designs for securing locking wedge
20 to base plate
15 are possible. For example, the locking wedge
may be configured with a living hinge (not shown), in lieu of the illustrated pivot
pins
35.
Appropriate positioning of pivot pins
35 relative to the locking
wedge and the base plate permits rotational movement of the locking wedge about
an axis defined by the pivot pins. Typically, locking wedge
20 comprises
sloped top surface
90 that slopes downward toward opposing driver wedge
25.
Driver wedge
25 is typically formed so that this wedge slideably cooperates
with locking wedge
20. Threaded blocks
45 and
50 are shown
respectively mounted on driver wedge
25 and base plate
15. Blocks
45 and
50 generally include threaded tooling to accommodate threaded
shaft
55 of hand screw
60. Although hand screw
60 is shown
with a curved eye-hook configuration, it is contemplated herein that hand screw
60 may be any other configuration, such as a knurled cap or knob, as long
as it allows sufficient turning of threaded shaft
55.
Driving and retracting the driver wedge in accordance with this embodiment
may be accomplished as follows. Initially, driver wedge
25 is in a retracted
position relative to base plate
15. At this point, door lock
10 may
be appropriately placed within the door gap. Next, a user may manually manipulate
hand screw
60, thereby driving driver wedge
25 underneath locking
wedge
20. As driver wedge
25 moves up along sloped top surface
90,
more and more pressure is applied to locking wedge
20 and the door and door
frame. With the door lock deployed in this fashion, the associated door cannot
be readily opened from the outside, thus providing the occupant of the room with
a heightened level of security from unauthorized entry.
Retracting driver wedge
25 from its wedged position relative to
locking wedge
20 may be accomplished in a similar, but reverse, manner.
For example, a user may again manipulate hand screw
60, but this time in
a reverse direction. This causes a retraction of the driver wedge with respect
to the locking wedge. The retracted door lock may then be removed from its position
within the door gap.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are top and side views, respectively, of disassembled door
lock
10. Specifically, FIG. 2A depicts hand screw
60 having turn
handle
65 attached to threaded shaft
55. In some embodiments, the
threaded shaft
55 may include distal and proximal threaded regions
70
and
75 in the form of a double-acting, reverse threaded screw. The distal
and proximal threaded regions comprise opposing thread designs such that distal
threaded region
70 may be fabricated with left-hand threading, while proximal
threaded region
75 comprises right-hand threading (or vice versa). Opposing
thread designs may be used for the distal and proximal threaded regions to facilitate
the linear translation of driver wedge
25 relative to base plate
15,
as may be required during the driving or retraction of the driver wedge. By employing
this dual threaded design, the driver wedge moves faster and farther per turn of
the threaded shaft.
FIG. 2A also shows an unobstructed view of cut out region
30 of base
plate
15. Pin cavities
80, shown in dashed lines, may be formed near
the U-shaped end of the base plate, with corresponding pin cavities
80 formed
in locking wedge
20. In some embodiments, pivot pins
35 may be used
to pivotably connect the locking wedge to the base plate. As contemplated herein,
pin cavities may include slots, grooves, or the like.
FIG. 2B shows locking wedge
20 having sloped top surface
90 and
partially sloped bottom surface
95. Specifically, the sloped top surface
of the locking wedge is shown formed with a predefined slope that spans substantially
the entire length of the wedge. Bottom surface
95 of the locking wedge,
on the other hand, may be substantially flat for the majority of the surface length,
but includes a distinct upward slope near interfacing edge
100.
FIG. 2B further shows driver wedge
25 having a partially sloped top surface
85. Notably, the slope of surface
85 complements sloped bottom surface
95 of the locking wedge, thus facilitating smooth cooperation between the
locking and driver wedges during operation. While specific examples of top and
bottom sloping surfaces have been shown and described, it is to be understood that
the invention is not limited to any particular amount or degree of slope for these
structures and that almost any design configuration may be used as long as the
interfacing devices (that is, locking and driving wedges
20,
25)
include cooperating surfaces.
In many embodiments, driver wedge
25 may be formed as a solid rigid structure,
but other structural designs are possible. For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the
driver wedge may be constructed using two distinct driver wedge components that
are pivotably attached to each other. In this embodiment, driver wedge
26
is formed of driver plate
27 and driver wedge
28 pivotably coupled
thereto by pivot pins
29. Threaded block
45 is shown mounted to element
27. FIG. 5B shows driver wedge
28 in a top and side view. Sloped
surface
21 of driver wedge
28 is shown. The two-piece driver wedge
design can be implemented to enhance the engagement of the locking and driver wedges
as well as to increase the overall engagement of the door lock within a door gap.
The individual components comprising the door lock of the invention may be fabricated
using any of a variety of rigid materials including plastic, carbon fiber plastic
composites, wood, metal, alloys, and the like. Each door lock embodiment of the
invention may also be fabricated in a variety of different sizes to meet a particular
need. The only dimensional characteristic required by the invention is that some
or all of the locking and driving wedges must be of an appropriate size so that
these components can be inserted into the door gap region of a door and adjacent
door jam.
FIG. 3 is a top view of door lock
10 in a retracted configuration. The
retracted configuration is typical of the door lock device of the invention prior
to insertion into a door gap, and contrasts the engaged configuration shown in
FIGS. 1A and 1B. A primary distinction between the engaged and retracted configurations
relates to the relative positioning of the locking and driving wedges.
For example, in FIG. 3, threaded block
50 of base plate
15 is in
close spatial relationship to threaded block
45 of driving wedge
25.
Noticeably, all (or substantially all) of locking wedge
20 is recessed within
cutout region
30 of the base plate, while substantially the entire cutout
region is occupied by the locking and driving wedges.
In contrast, the engaged configuration of FIGS. 1A and 1B show threaded block
50 of base plate
15 a distinct distance from threaded block
45
of driving wedge
25. In this configuration, a portion of cutout region
30
is exposed, while a portion of driving wedge
25 has been driven under locking
wedge
20. Wedging driving block
25 beneath locking wedge
20
forces the locking wedge to axially pivot in an upward manner. In use, the upward
pivoting force of the locking wedge causes the top surface of that wedge to engage
an adjacent door, while the bottom surface of driving wedge
25 engages an
adjacent door jam (or vice versa). Once deployed, the locking and driving wedges
effectively bridge the door gap, thus preventing or inhibiting unauthorized opening
of the door.
FIGS. 4A and 4B are top and perspective views, respectively, of one implementation
of the invention. As shown, door
105 is attached to door jam
110
using hinge
115. The door is in the closed position, thus creating gap
120
between door
105 and door jam
125.
Door lock
10 is shown inserted into gap
120. The door lock
10
is in the engaged configuration such that the driving wedge has been driven under
the locking wedge, causing the locking wedge to engage the outer portion of door
105 and in some cases, causing the driving wedge to engage the outer portion
of door jam
125 (as described above). When in the locking position, as shown
in FIG. 4B, the lock of the invention effectively fills and closes a portion of
gap
120 so that the door cannot rotate through its normal hinged radius.
If any unauthorized person attempts to open the door, any inward movement of
the
door will be hindered or prevented because of the placement of door lock
10
within gap
120. The door lock is shown deployed near the top portion of
the door and at the approximate height of opposing top hinge
115. Deploying
the door lock opposite the top hinge may maximize the effectiveness of door lock
10, but the door lock may be placed at nearly any location along gap
120.
To allow opening of door
105, the user simply rotates hand screw
60
in the appropriate direction, causing the locking and driving wedges to at least
partially disengage. Once disengaged, the door lock may be removed from the door
gap and the door can be easily opened. Since door lock
10 does not require
permanent attachment to the door or door jam, the door lock may be quickly installed
or removed as may be desired. In addition, it is completely portable, and can be
taken by the user while travelling, for example.
The present invention has been described being implemented using a manually operated
hand screw. However, alternative configurations are possible and within the contemplation
of the present invention. For example, the door lock of the invention may be implemented
using other types of driving mechanisms such as electric motors, hydraulic pumps,
cam levers, and other appropriate drive mechanisms. Still further possibilities
include the incorporation of an alarm system with any of the door lock embodiments
described herein. Alternative embodiments of the invention, some of which incorporate
the just-described features, will now be described.
The base plate has been shown having a substantially planar surface relative
to the U-shaped cutout region
30. However, other designs are possible where,
for example, a protrusion plate or hooking member may be affixed to either side
of base plate
15 to augment the effectiveness of the door lock. With reference
to FIG. 6, protrusion plate
130, having base
131 and sides or wings
132, may be employed to enclose a portion of the edge of the door and provide
even more positive engagement of the door lock device of the invention between
the door and the door jam.
FIGS. 7A-7C are top, side, and end views, respectively, of an alternative embodiment
of the present invention. Similar to other door lock embodiments, door lock
200
may include base plate
15 configured with locking and driver wedges
20
and
25. However, in the illustrated embodiment, electric motor
205
is attached to the base plate and provides the necessary driving force to linearly
move driver wedge
25 beneath locking wedge
20.
Motor
205 provides the necessary driving force to driver wedge
25
using, for example, threaded drive shaft
210. The drive shaft
210
is shown projecting from motor
205, passing through the drive shaft guide
215, and ultimately threading through block
45 of driver wedge
25.
In contrast to the dual-threading design utilized in some of the other embodiments,
drive shaft
210 may be configured with threading formed in a single direction,
in cooperation with the threading of block
45.
Drive shaft guide
215 may be formed with a cylindrical cavity that substantially
conforms to the diameter of drive shaft
210, while permitting the drive
shaft to slide or pass through guide
215 as may be required. Typically,
the cylindrical cavity of the drive shaft guide is void of any threading and may
be designed with a relatively smooth surface to facilitate cooperation with and
to provide support for rotating drive shaft
210. It is to be understood
that while the drive shaft guide
215 may be useful in many implementations,
it is not essential or critical to this embodiment of the invention.
Electric motor
205 and associated battery power sources
220
may be implemented using any suitable motor and power supply technologies well
known to those skilled in the art. The motor is shown having two batteries
220
(for example, AAA, AA, C, D, 9V, among others), but the invention is not so limited
and any suitable electrical source that sufficiently powers the motor may be used.
In addition, electric motor
205 may be configured to facilitate remote operation.
Motor
205 is typically configured with forward and reverse capabilities.
When the motor is operated in the forward direction, it rotates drive shaft
210,
causing driver wedge
25 to be driven underneath locking wedge
20.
In contrast, when the motor in operated in the reverse direction, it rotates the
drive shaft in the opposite direction, retracting the driver wedge from its wedged
positioning relative to the locking wedge.
It may be possible that the drive shaft itself is linearly movable with respect
to the motor. In such case, the end of the drive shaft could be journaled in block
45 and threaded in block
215. As a further alternative, the drive
shaft coupled to motor
205 could be dual reverse threaded, as in the FIG.
1 embodiment, so it would be threaded through both blocks and move linearly with
respect to the motor.
FIG. 8 is a top view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
In accordance with this embodiment, hydraulic pump
255 is implemented for
driving and retracting driver wedge
25.
As shown, door lock
250 includes base plate
15 configured with
hydraulic
pump
255 in communication with a hydraulic cylinder
260. The hydraulic
cylinder is shown configured with a drive shaft
265 projecting from the
cylinder and passing through a drive shaft guide
215. Block
270 may
be rigidly attached to driver wedge
25 and sized to receive the distal end
of drive shaft
265. The distal end of the drive shaft may be attached to
block
270 using any suitable method (for example, adhesives, solder, metal
welds, among others) that permits block
270 and drive shaft
265 to
remain in a fixed spatial relationship during operation. The shaft and block may
also be so coupled as to enable wedge
25 to tilt as it engages wedge
20,
if desired.
The optional drive shaft guide
215 may be utilized to facilitate the driving
and retraction of drive shaft
265, and in some instances, provides physical
support to the drive shaft. Again, while drive shaft guide
215 may be useful
in many implementations, it is not an essential or critical feature.
Hydraulic pump
255 and associated cylinder
260 may be implemented
using any suitable design and configuration that can provide the necessary driving
and retracting requirements in accordance with the invention. Driving and retracting
driver wedge
25 in accordance with this embodiment may be accomplished as
follows. Initially, driver block
25 may be in a retracted position relative
to base plate
15, while drive shaft
265 and piston
275 are
positioned to the rear of the hydraulic cylinder. At this point, the door lock
may be appropriately placed into the door gap. Next, the hydraulic pump
255
may be energized or switched into a driving mode that causes hydraulic fluid to
flow from pump
255 to the rear of cylinder
260. Fluid flow may be
controlled using, for example, hydraulic valves
280. Consequently, piston
275 is forced from the rear of the cylinder, thereby driving driver wedge
25 underneath locking wedge
20.
Retracting driver wedge
25 from its wedged position relative to
locking wedge
20 may be accomplished by in a similar, but reverse, manner.
For example, the hydraulic pump may be placed into a retracting mode that causes
hydraulic fluid to flow from the rear of the cylinder and back into pump
255.
This causes the piston to be forced to the rear of cylinder
260, thereby
retracting the driver wedge. The retracted door lock may then be removed from its
position within the door gap.
FIGS. 9A and 9B are top and side views, respectively, of another alternative
embodiment of the present invention. In accordance with this embodiment, a hand
lever mechanism is implemented for driving and retracting the driver wedge.
As shown, door lock
300 includes the base plate
15 configured with
an over-center cam hand lever
305 coupled to drive shaft
310. Link
plate
315 and associated pivot pins
320 and
322 are shown
connecting hand lever
305 and drive shaft
310. The drive shaft is
shown passing through slider bearing block
325 in such a manner that the
distal end of the drive shaft is attached to block
270. It is typically
desirable for block
270 and drive shaft
310 to be attached in such
a manner that they remain in a linearly fixed relative relationship during operation.
Driveshaft
310 may have enlarged circular end portion
312 providing
strength and durability for the attachment of pivot pin
320.
In some implementations, slider bearing block
325 may be formed with a
cylindrical cavity that substantially conforms to the diameter of drive shaft
310,
while permitting the drive shaft to slide or pass through the bearing block as
may be required. Typically, the cylindrical cavity of the slider bearing block
is devoid of any threading and may be designed with a relatively smooth internal
surface to facilitate cooperation with drive shaft
310. Slider bearing block
325 may be utilized to facilitate the driving and retraction of drive shaft
310, and to provide structural support to the drive shaft as may be necessary
or desired.
Hand lever
305 may be pivotally attached to base plate
15 using,
for example, pivot pin
322 attached to link plate
315, and attached
to pivot pin
320. Hand lever
305 is rotationally attached to the
base plate at point
324. Link plate
315 is attached to enlarged end
308 of hand lever
305 by pivot pin
322, which is offset from
point
324. In general, the driving and retracting of driver wedge
25
may be accomplished as follows. Similar to other embodiments, the driver block
may be initially positioned in a retracted position. Retracting driver block
25
may be accomplished by placing the handle
305 in an open position, as indicated
by handle
305(dashed lines). At this point, the door lock may be appropriately
placed within the door gap.
Hand lever
305 may then be moved in a direction as indicated by arrow
"a" forcing drive shaft
310 through slider bearing block
325, thereby
driving driver wedge
25 underneath locking wedge
20. Retracting the
driver wedge from its wedged position relative to the locking wedge may be accomplished
by moving hand lever
305 back to the open position (shown in dashed lines).
The retracted door lock may then be removed from its position within the door gap.
FIG. 10 is a top view of a door lock optionally configured with an alarm device.
In particular, the door lock of FIGS. 1A and 1B is shown having an alarm device
405 attached to the underside of base plate
15. The alarm may include
any suitable device that can detect movement or attempted forced entry, the specifics
of which would be chosen by those skilled in the art. Typically, alarm
405
includes an audio speaker or other sound generating device that is activated upon
the detection of some predetermined or user definable degree of movement. Although
the alarm is shown configured with the hand screw implementation of the invention,
it is to be understood that alarm
405 may be configured with any of the
other embodiments.
An appropriately configured door lock of the invention may be utilized in a variety
of applications including hotels, motels, residential homes, business, apartment
homes, among others. Those who may also benefit from the use of the invention include
people who desire enhanced security from unauthorized entry, which may include
travelers, parents, roommates, and the like.
While the invention has been described in detail with reference to disclosed
embodiments, various modifications within the scope and spirit of the invention
will be apparent to those of working skill in this technological field. It is to
be appreciated that features described with respect to one embodiment typically
may be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the invention properly is to be
construed with reference to the claims.
*
