Patent Publication Number: US-2020284064-A1

Title: Electronic lock

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to an electronic lock, especially to one that uses a screw sleeve and a screw rod to drives a pivoting latch bolt going into or out a bolt slot for controlling the lock. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     General electronic lock is a concealed door lock arranged in the jamb, the conventional electronic lock showing in  FIG. 1  uses an electromagnetic device to push the latch bolt  91  out of the jamb  92  along the X axis and go into the lock slot  94  of the face plate  93 ; since the shape and the size of the lock slot  94  are equal to the latch bolt  91 , the latch bolt  91  can fit into the lock slot  94  horizontally so as to achieve effectively locked and concealment. 
     The electromagnetic device has many problems, including, when the door does not close properly while aligning the lock slot  94  to the latch bolt  91 , the latch bolt  91  which displaced horizontally in X-X axis will hit the face plate  91  and fail to go into the lock slot  94  to complete locking process; or while the latch bolt is locked, the latch bolt  91  which displaced horizontally in X-X axis might break away from the lock slot  94  when the wind pressure or loads imposed by others is larger than the electromagnetic force. Therefore, to change the movement of the latch bolt  91  from horizontal movement to the rotation while going in or out the lock slot  94 , and to enhance the torque to overcome loads problems are objectives of the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide an electronic lock which uses a rotation mechanism for the latch bolt to get in and out the bolt slot to replace conventional horizontal pushing method to complete locking or unlocking process. 
     It is another objective of the present invention to provide an electronic lock which uses the advantage of high torque transmission characteristics of a screw sleeve and a screw rod to ensure the operation stability of the lock during the locking and unlocking process. 
     In order to achieve the above objectives, the lock box of the present invention arranged inside the jamb comprising: a door strike having a cap arranged outside and a containing space arranged inside thereof, and the cap has a bolt slot; a latch bolt, the latch bolt has a pivot hole at the rear end set through and fixed by a pivot for making the latch bolt able to rotate inside the containing space; a driving mechanism is arranged inside the containing space for driving the latch bolt extend through from the bolt slot to the lock slot of the face plate during locking process and return to the containing space during unlocking process; a side cover arranged at the lateral side of the containing space of the door strike for preventing dust; and a face plate having a lock slot. 
     The electronic lock is characterized in that: the lock slot of the face plate has a wide side and a narrow side and a bevel edge between thereof; on the pivot hole arranged a lug and behind the pivot hole arranged a guide bar, at the center of the guide bar arranged a guide wheel; a driving mechanism comprise a screw rod, a brake gear and an expansion spring; the screw rod is linked and drove by a motor and a decelerator; the brake gear has a screw sleeve, a pushing unit and a pull rod, the screw sleeve is set on the screw rod, the rotation of the screw rod drive the brake gear to displace axially to drive the pushing unit pushing the guide wheel of the latch bolt and to drive the pull rod to pull the guide bar of the latch bolt and further drive the front end of the latch bolt go into the bolt slot; the expansion spring is linked to lug and the fixing stud, during locking process, the expansion spring is stretched, and the expansion spring returned and further pull the front end of the latch bolt back to the containing space. 
     Whereby the rotation of the screw rod drives the brake gear to move forward, the pushing unit pushes the latch bolt to make the front end of the latch bolt extends throughout the bolt slot, and the latch bolt extends to the face plate from the wide side to the narrow side to guide the lock slot aligned to the bolt slot for the front end of the latch bolt going into the lock slot properly to be locked; the counterrotation of the screw rod drives the brake gear to move backward, the pull rod pulls the latch bolt back to the bolt slot, and the restoring of the expansion spring further makes the latch bolt returned to the containing space to be unlocked. 
     Also, the present invention further comprises a limited pin arranged at inner periphery of the bottom of the door strike for blocking the latch bolt while pulling by the expansion spring to make the latch bolt stay in the right position inside the containing space. 
     Also, away from the screw rod, the bottom of the door strike of arranged a horizontal rail and behind the pushing unit of the brake gear arranged a roller, and the roller is set on the horizontal rail, so when the screw rod drives the brake gear to move axially, the brake gear achieves the effect of smooth displacement. 
     Also, at the front end of the latch bolt arranged a rolling sleeve for the latch bolt rolling on the bevel edge of the lock slot to enhance the effect of guiding the lock slot aligned to the bolt slot. 
     Whereby the characteristics above mentioned, the present invention has below effects: 
     1). The lock box of the present invention arranged in the jamb has a pivot hole arranged at the rear end set through and fixed by a pivot inside the door strike, at the rear end of the pivot hole has a brake gear for driving the front end of the latch bolt to rotate inside the containing space, and further go in or out the bolt slot of the lock box; and the face plate arranged at the door edge has a lock slot having a bevel edge with a wide side and a narrow side; therefore the latch bolt driving by rotation can complete the locking process even in the situation that the lock slot not aligned to the bolt slot. 
     2). The driving mechanism of the present invention comprises a screw rod, a brake gear and an expansion spring; the screw sleeve of the brake gear is arranged on the screw rod, the screw rod is drove by the motor to drive the brake gear moving back and forth axially, and further rotates the rear end of the latch bolt for the front end to go in or out the bolt slot of the lock box; since the screw sleeve and the screw rod has the characteristic of high torque transmission, the latch bolt drove by the brake gear can guide the lock slot aligned to the bolt slot during locking process and ensure the latch bolt able to get out from the lock slot while enduring the lateral load from the door during the unlocking process, and the expansion spring further make the latch bolt returned to the containing space, therefore the present invention can ensure the operation stability of the lock during the locking and unlocking process. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating a conventional electronic lock; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective views of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3A  is an assembly perspective views of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3B  is an assembly front views of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3C  is a schematic diagram of driving mechanism; 
         FIG. 4A  is an assembly perspective views of the lock box during locking process; 
         FIG. 4B  is an assembly front views of the present invention during locking process; 
         FIG. 4C  is a schematic diagram of driving mechanism during locking process; 
         FIG. 5A  is an assembly perspective views of the present invention while being locked; 
         FIG. 5B  is an assembly front views of the present invention while being locked; 
         FIG. 5C  is a schematic diagram of driving mechanism while being locked; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram illustrating the arrangement of the electronic lock of the present invention in an applicable embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram illustrating the status of the latch bolt during locking or unlocking process; 
         FIG. 8  is another schematic diagram illustrating the status of the latch bolt during locking or unlocking process; 
         FIG. 9  is another schematic diagram illustrating the status of the latch bolt during locking or unlocking process. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-3C , the present invention electronic lock  100  comprise a lock box  80  and a face plate  10 , the face plate  10  is arranged at the door edge and has a lock slot  11 , and the lock slot  11  has a wide side  111  and a narrow side  112  and further forms a bevel edge  113 ; the lock box  80  arranged in the jamb comprise: a door strike  20  having a cap  21  arranged outside and a containing space  22  arranged inside thereof, and the cap  21  has a bolt slot  23 ; a latch bolt  30 , the latch bolt  30  has a pivot hole  31 , on the top of the pivot hole  31  has a lug  33 , behind the pivot hole  31  arranged a guide bar  34 , and at the center of the guide bar  34  arranged a guide wheel  35 ; the pivot hole  31  is set through and fixed by a pivot  32  for making the latch bolt  30  able to rotate inside the containing space  22  for making the front end  36  able to go in or out of the bolt slot  23 ; a driving mechanism  40  is arranged inside the containing space  22  to drive the latch bolt  30  for making the front end  36  able to go into the bolt slot  23  during the locking process and go into the lock slot  11  of the face plate  10 , and be able to return to the containing space  22  during unlocking process. 
     The driving mechanism  40  above mentioned has a screw rod  41 , a brake gear  42  and an expansion spring  43 ; wherein the screw rod  41  is set in the door strike  20  by an axle block  411  at the both end, and one end of the screw rod  41  is linked and drove by a motor  44  and a decelerator  45 , and the decelerator  45  is set in door strike  20  by an axle block  411 , and the screw rod  41  and the decelerator  45  is linked to each other by a coupling  412  for driving the screw rod  41  by the deceleration of the motor  44 ; the brake gear  42  has a screw sleeve  421 , a pushing unit  422  and a pull rod  423 , the screw sleeve  421  is set on the screw rod  41 , the rotation of the screw rod  41  drive the brake gear  42  to displace axially to drive the pushing unit  422  pushing the guide wheel  35  of the latch bolt  30  and to drive the pull rod  423  to pull the guide bar  34  of the latch bolt  30 , since the pivot hole  31  of the latch bolt  30  is set inside the door strike  20 , the front end  36  of the latch bolt  30  will be drove and go into the bolt slot  23 ; the expansion spring  43  is linked to lug  33  and the fixing stud  24 , during locking process, the expansion spring  43  is stretched, and during unlocking process, the expansion spring  43  returned and further pull the front end  36  of the latch bolt  30  back to the containing space  22 ; a side cover  50  arranged at the lateral side of the containing space  22  of the door strike  20  for preventing dust. 
     The present invention further comprises a limited pin  25  arranged at the inner periphery of the bottom of the door strike  20  for blocking the latch bolt  30  while pulling by the expansion spring  43  to make the latch bolt  30  stay in the right position inside the containing space  22 . Also, away from the screw rod  41 , the bottom of the door strike  20  arranged a horizontal rail  26  and behind the pushing unit  422  of the brake gear  42  arranged a roller  424 , and the roller  424  is set on the horizontal rail  26 , so when the screw rod  41  drives the brake gear  42  to move axially, the brake gear  42  achieves the effect of smooth displacement. Moreover, at the front end  36  of the latch bolt  30  arranged a rolling sleeve  37  for the latch bolt  30  rolling on the bevel edge  113  of the lock slot  11  to enhance the effect of guiding the lock slot  11  aligned to the bolt slot  23 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4A-4C , the diagram illustrating the operating of the present invention in locking process, at initial status, the latch bolt  30  stayed in the containing space  22 , and then, the motor  44  linked to the decelerator  45  for driving the screw rod  41  to rotate, because the screw sleeve  421  of the brake gear  42  is arranged on the screw rod  41 , the brake gear  42  displaced forward and the pushing unit  422  of the brake gear  42  further push the guide wheel  35  of the latch bolt  30 , since the pivot hole  31  of the latch bolt  30  is set inside the door strike  20 , when the front end  36  of the latch bolt  30  is drove and extended through out of bolt slot  23  and be vertical to the cap  21 , and the latch bolt goes into the lock slot  11  of the face plate  10  and complete locking process, as  FIGS. 5A-5C  showing, the expansion spring  43  is stretched and accumulates strain energy. 
     The unlocking operating process of the present invention is opposite to the locking process, at initial status, the front end  36  of the latch bolt  30  is vertical to the cap  21  as  FIG. 5A-5C  showing, and the latch bolt  30  is in the lock slot  11  of the face plate  10 ; and then, the motor  44  linked to the decelerator  45  driving the screw rod  41  to rotate in opposite direction, the brake gear  42  displaced backward and the pull rod  423  of the brake gear  42  further pull the guide bar  34  of the latch bolt  30 , the front end  36  of the latch bolt  30  is drove and retract to the bolt slot  23 , and by the returning of the expansion spring  43  and the blocking of the limited pin  25 , the he front end  36  of the latch bolt  30  is pulled into the containing space  22  and stayed in the right position and complete unlocking process, as  FIGS. 3A-3C  showing. 
     The  FIG. 6  is an applicable embodiment of the installing method of the present invention, wherein the lock box  80  is arranged inside the jamb  81 , the face plate  10  is set at the door edge  82  by aligning the horizontal axis X 2 -X 2  of the lock slot  11  to the horizontal axis X 1 -X 1  of the bolt slot  23 ; the installing method can also be arranging the lock box  80  on the door edge  82  and then set the face plate  10  inside the jamb  81 ; the locking process of the present invention is showing in  FIGS. 7-9 , during the locking process, the lock slot  11  of the face plate  10  may not be aligning to the bolt slot of the lock box  80 , between the face plate  10  and the cap  21  of the lock box  80  has a first gap Xa, as  FIG. 7  showing; then, the front end  36  of the latch bolt  30  goes into the lock slot  11  from the wide side  111 . Because at the front end  36  of the latch bolt  30  has a rolling sleeve  37  for the front end  36  of the latch bolt  30  rolling on the bevel edge  113  of the lock slot  11  from the wide side  111  to the narrow side  112 , the torque produced during the rolling process generates a X axis horizontal component P 1  driving the face plate  10  to displace in X axis and further reduce the distance between face plate  10  and the cap  21  to form a smaller second gap Xb, as  FIG. 8  showing; The front end  36  of the latch bolt  30  continues to roll along the bevel edge  113  of the lock slot  11  and making the lock slot  11  of the face plate  10  aligned to the bolt slot  23  of the lockbox  80 , so as to make the face plate  10  and the cap  21  to have no gap X 0 , as  FIG. 9  showing; moreover, the unlocking process of the present invention is showing in  FIGS. 9-7 , at first there is no gap X 0  between the face plate  10  and the cap  21 , as  FIG. 9  showing, the lateral load of door P 2  is smaller than the torque produced by the rotation of the latch bolt  30 , so the rolling sleeve  37  of the latch bolt  30  will roll along the e bevel edge  113  of the lock slot  11  to the wide side  111 , and the lateral load of door P 2  will push the door and make a second gap Xb between the face plate  10  and the cap  21 , as  FIG. 8  showing; then, the front end  36  of the latch bolt  30  keeps rolling on the bevel edge  113  of the lock slot  11  until the front end  36  of the latch bolt  30  gets out from the lock slot  11  and the bolt slot  23 , and the returning of the expansion spring  43  further pulls the front end  36  of the latch bolt  30  back to the containing space  22  to complete the unlocking process, then the lateral load of door P 2  will push the door and make a first gap Xa between the face plate  10  and the cap  21 , as  FIG. 7  showing. 
     The lock box  80  of the present invention arranged in the jamb  81  has a pivot hole  31  arranged at the rear end of the latch bolt  30 , the pivot hole  31  is set through by a pivot  32  fixed inside the door strike  20 , and the brake gear  42  drives the rear end of the pivot hole  31  to make the front end  36  of the latch bolt  30  to be able to rotate in the containing space  22  and further goes into or out of the bolt slot  23  of the lock box  80 ; the face plate  10  arranged at the door edge  82  has a lock slot  11  having a wide side and a narrow side and a bevel edge between thereof; therefore, the latch bolt  30  driving by rotation can complete the locking process even in the situation that even the lock slot  11  is not aligned to the bolt slot  23 . Furthermore, the driving mechanism  40  of the present invention comprises a screw rod  41 , a brake gear  42  and an expansion spring  43 ; the screw sleeve  421  of the brake gear  42  is arranged on the screw rod  41 , the screw rod  41  is drove by the motor  44  to drive the brake gear  42  moving back and forth axially, and further rotates the rear end of the latch bolt  30  for the front end  36  to go in or out of the bolt slot  23  of the lock box  80 ; since the screw sleeve  421  and the screw rod  41  has the characteristic of high torque transmission, the latch bolt  30  drove by the brake gear  42  can guide the lock slot  11  aligned to the bolt slot  23  during locking process and ensure the latch bolt  30  being able to get out from the lock slot  11  while enduring the lateral load from the door during the unlocking process, and the expansion spring  43  further make the latch bolt  30  returned to the containing space  22 , therefore the present invention can ensure the operation stability of the lock during the locking and unlocking process. 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.