Abstract:
A snap-closing device for doors and hatches, with particular reference to the doors and hatches of motor vehicles such as vans, caravans, motorcaravans and the like, which allows, under the condition of lock closed, the activation handle to be released from the closing sliding bar.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of Italian Patent Application No. FI2014A000011 filed Jan. 23, 2014 entitled “Snap-closing device for doors and hatches, comprising means for releasing the handle from the lock block” the disclosures of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of closing systems and of safety locks for doors and hatches, in particular for doors and hatches of motor vehicles, especially concerning vans, caravans, motorcaravans and the like. 
       STATE OF THE ART 
       [0003]    In the field of closing systems and safety locks for doors and hatches, snap-closing devices are available on the market, which generally comprise a lock body, applied integrally to the door or hatch being examined, which houses a shaft adapted to guide a closing sliding bar. An activation handle, for example of the lever type, is associated with said shaft, held in closed position by suitable elastic means, and is adapted to activate it by pushing it in axial direction so as to open the lock which it is part of. 
         [0004]    Said activation handle is also generally provided with a cylinder lock, or similar key locking means, which makes the locking thereof possible. 
         [0005]    Generally, in snap-closing systems in use in the field of closing systems and of safety locks for doors and hatches, and in particular in the field of doors and hatches of motor vehicles such as vans, caravans, motorcaravans and the like, the closing system of the type described provides for said shaft, which is integral with said activation handle, to be integral with the closing sliding bar. For this reason, when the lock is locked, for example by means of the action of said cylinder or similar locking means, the activation handle remains blocked together with the shaft which is integral thereto. The handle itself may thereby be damaged in any attempts to force it by exerting strong pressures thereon in the attempt to release the lock from the block. 
         [0006]    It is an object of the present patent application to introduce a snap-closing device for doors and hatches, with particular reference to the doors and hatches of motor vehicles such as vans, caravans, motorcaravans and the like, which allows increased simplicity and practicality of use to be introduced with respect to closing systems of the state of the art. 
         [0007]    Another object of the present invention consists in introducing a snap-closing device for doors and hatches, with particular reference to the doors and hatches of motor vehicles such as vans, caravans, motorcaravans and the like, which allows, under the condition of lock closed, the activation handle to be released from the shaft adapted to guide the closing sliding bar. 
         [0008]    The closing device object of the present invention allows application to the doors of vans, caravans, motorcaravans and the like and is characterized in that it has a simplified structure with respect to similar devices of the state of the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  shows a sectional view of the closing device according to the present invention, with the activation handle in closed position, with the lock open. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  shows a sectional view of the closing device according to the present invention, with the activation handle in open position, with the lock open. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  shows a sectional view of the closing device according to the present invention, with the activation handle in closed position, with the lock closed. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  shows a sectional view of the closing device according to the present invention, with the activation handle in open position, with the lock closed. 
       
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    The present invention relates to a snap-closing device for doors and hatches, with particular reference to the doors and hatches of motor vehicles such as vans, caravans, motorcaravans and the like, which allows, under the condition of lock closed, the activation handle to be released from the closing sliding bar. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    The present description and accompanying drawings are to be considered as illustrative and non-limiting of the present invention, which may be implemented according to other and different embodiments, always forming a part of the appended claims, which also form an integral part of the text. 
         [0015]    With reference to the accompanying drawings, the snap-closing device object of the present patent application comprises: an inner lock body  14  and an outer lock body  10 , associated to each other by means of suitable fastening means or made in a single piece, comprising fastening means adapted to promote the installation thereof on a door or hatch such as, for example, screws and threaded seats. 
         [0016]    Said outer lock body  10  comprises, in turn, a handle  11  associated with a specific seat  12 , adapted to house said handle  11  when said handle  11  is in closed position and to allow a user to introduce the ends of his/her fingers between the bottom of said seat  12  and said handle  11 , and a key locking device  13 , preferably of the cylinder type. 
         [0017]    Said inner lock body  14  comprises, in turn, a sliding bar  19  associated with said handle  11  and adapted to translate parallel to the surface of said door so as to engage with specific backing means on the frame of said door, said sliding bar  19  being associated with elastic means adapted to hold said sliding bar  19  in closed position and to withstand the movement of said sliding bar  19  in the opposite sense. Said elastic means preferably comprise a compression spring which is integral, at one end, with the end of said sliding bar  19  inside said lock body  14 , and at the other end with the structure of said inner lock body  14 . 
         [0018]    Advantageously, said sliding bar  19  further comprises one end provided with a profile adapted to slide on the corresponding profile of said specific backing means on the frame of said door. 
         [0019]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, said handle  11  is associated with a control shaft  15 , preferably with a flat shaped end, adapted to engage with a specific housing  16  inside said sliding bar  19 , and provided with an abutment  18 . Said abutment  18  is provided, in turn, with an opening  17  larger in size than the thickness of the end of said control shaft  15 . 
         [0020]    To obtain the opening of the lock, said handle  11 , extracted from seat  12  by the user, activates said control shaft  15  so as to exert a pressure on said abutment  18  such as to overcome the resistance of the elastic means associated with said sliding bar  19 , as shown in accompanying  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Thereby, the translation is caused of said sliding bar  19 , parallel to the surface of said door, in a sense such as to disengage the lock from the counterpart arranged on the door and therefore to allow the opening of said door. 
         [0021]    When the lock of the device according to the present invention is locked, by means of, for example, cylinder  13  housed in said handle  11 , said shaft  15  is guided by said cylinder  13  and is rotated approximately by 90°. Thereby, as shown in accompanying  FIGS. 3 and 4 , when said handle is activated by the user and extracted from seat  12 , the flat end of said shaft  15 , which is integral with said handle  11 , may pass through opening  17  of said abutment, thus in fact releasing said handle  11  from the sliding bar  19 , thus leaving it free to be extracted from seat  12  also when the lock is locked. 
         [0022]    According to the present invention, handle  11  of lock is therefore released from the lock when said lock is locked. Thereby, said handle  11  does not provide the possibility of forcing the lock by exerting strong pressures on handle  11  in the attempt to release the lock from the locking. 
         [0023]    In addition to this, the device according to the present invention is easy to make, thus minimizing components and assembly times. 
         [0024]    The preferred embodiment described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings is to be considered as exemplary and non-limiting with respect to alternative embodiments using the same inventive concept. To this end, different key closing systems may also be used in the present invention, provided that in the closed condition, shaft  15 , integral with said handle  11 , is in a position such as not to transmit a possible stress on handle  11  at abutment  18 .