Patent Publication Number: US-10329802-B1

Title: Lock mechanism

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a lock mechanism, and more particularly relates to a lock mechanism able to be mounted on doors having different thicknesses. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     China patent application No. 200780010321.8 discloses a low profile deadbolt assembly 10. The deadbolt assembly 10 includes a keyed low profile actuator assembly 24, a deadbolt latch assembly 26, a crank 84 and an interior actuator assembly 28 which are mounted on a door 12 sequentially. According to FIGS. 1 and 4 of CN 200780010321.8, the crank 84 is installed on a lateral side of the deadbolt latch assembly 26 so the width including the crank 84 and the deadbolt latch assembly 26 may lead the deadbolt assembly 10 can&#39;t be mounted on a thin door. 
     Otherwise, pins in conventional deadbolt lock usually have a fixed sum because of the standard profile of commercial cylinder, that is to say the cylinder has a fixed length and has size limitation when assembled with a latch assembly. As a result, a convex portion on an escutcheon is required for accommodating the protruded cylinder and the conventional deadbolt lock has visual defects of insufficient flatness and appearance. 
     SUMMARY 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a lock mechanism. A transmission spindle is provided to couple with a bush which is accommodated in an actuation hole of an actuation element of a latchbolt assembly. As a result, the lock mechanism can be mounted on doors having different thicknesses and has the visual advantage of flatness because the latchbolt assembly can be moved away from or toward a plug assembly. 
     The lock mechanism of the present invention includes a plug assembly, a transmission spindle, a bush and a latchbolt assembly. The plug assembly includes a plug which has a first coupling end portion. The transmission spindle includes a transmission portion and a second coupling end portion which is coupled with the first coupling end portion such that the plug can drive the transmission spindle rotate. The bush covers the first and second coupling end portions, and the bush and the transmission spindle are coupled with each other and rotate together. The latchbolt assembly includes a latchbolt and an actuation element having an actuation hole. The bush is movably accommodated in the actuation hole and provided to move the actuation element in swinging movement to move the latchbolt. 
     In the lock mechanism of the present invention, the bush is coupled to the transmission spindle and movably accommodated in the actuation hole of the actuation element of the plug assembly such that the distance between the latchbolt assembly and the plug assembly is adjustable. For this reason, the lock mechanism can be mounted on doors having different thicknesses and can prevent the first coupling end portion of the plug from blocking the latchbolt assembly so the lock mechanism can be applied in a thinner door. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective assembly diagram illustrating a lock mechanism in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective exploded diagram illustrating the lock mechanism in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective exploded diagram illustrating a part of the lock mechanism in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a lateral view diagram illustrating a latchbolt assembly (without housing) of the lock mechanism in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-section view diagram illustrating the lock mechanism in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-section view diagram illustrating the lock mechanism in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-section view diagram illustrating the lock mechanism in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a lateral view diagram illustrating the lock mechanism in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective exploded diagram illustrating a lock mechanism in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a lock mechanism  100  of a first embodiment of the present invention includes an exterior actuation assembly  100   a  and an interior actuation assembly  100   b  which are mounted on two sides of a door (not shown), respectively. And the exterior and interior actuation assemblies  100   a  and  100   b  are provided to actuate a latchbolt assembly  140 , respectively, to lock or unlock the door. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the lock mechanism  100  includes a plug assembly  110 , a transmission spindle  120 , a bush  130  and a latchbolt assembly  140 . The plug assembly  110  includes a plug  111 , a cylinder  112  and a plurality of pins (not shown), and the plug  111  and the pins are disposed in the cylinder  112 . The plug  111  has a first coupling end portion  111   a  that is protruded from the cylinder  112 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , the transmission spindle  120  includes a second coupling end portion  121  and a transmission portion  122  which are connected as one piece in this embodiment. With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 6 , the second coupling end portion  121  of the transmission spindle  120  is coupled to the first coupling end portion  111   a  of the plug  111 . When user uses a key (not shown) to rotate the plug  111 , the plug  111  can drive the transmission spindle  120  to rotate. With reference to  FIGS. 2, 3 and 6 , the lock mechanism  100  preferably further includes a cover  160  covering the first coupling end portion  111   a  and the second coupling end portion  121 . The cover  160  is coupled with the first coupling end portion  111   a  to prevent the transmission spindle  120  from separating from the first coupling end portion  111   a  of the plug  111 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2, 5 and 6 , the bush  130  and the transmission spindle  120  are coupled with each other so they can rotate together. In this embodiment, the lock mechanism  100  further includes a coupling element  150 , the bush  130  has a horizontal through hole  132  and a vertical through hole  133  which is communicated with the horizontal through hole  132 , and the transmission portion  122  has a coupling hole  122   a . In order to couple the bush  130  and the transmission spindle  120  as one piece, the transmission portion  122  is assembled through the horizontal through hole  132  of the bush  130  and the coupling element  150  is assembled through the vertical through hole  133  and the coupling hole  122   a.    
     With reference to  FIGS. 3 and 6 , the first coupling end portion  111   a  and the second coupling end portion  121  are covered by the bush  130  and accommodated in the horizontal through hole  132  of the bush  130 . In this embodiment, the cover  160  is also accommodated in the horizontal through hole  132  of the bush  130 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 , the latchbolt assembly  140  includes a latchbolt  141 , an actuation element  142  and a housing  143 . The latchbolt  141  and the actuation element  142  are disposed in the housing  143 , and the actuation element  142  is adapted to drive the latchbolt  141  protrude from or retract into the housing  143 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 , the bush  130  is movably accommodated within an actuation hole  142   a  of the actuation element  142 , and preferably, the bush  130  and the actuation hole  142   a  are engaged with each other. The bush  130  is provided to move the actuation portion  142  in swinging movement to actuate operation of the latchbolt  141 . With reference to  FIG. 6 , in this embodiment, the transmission portion  122  is inserted into the bush  130  through the horizontal through hole  132  and protruded from the actuation hole  142   a  of the actuation element  142 . The transmission portion  122  protruding from the actuation hole  142   a  is coupled to a knob K of the lock mechanism  100  such that the transmission portion  122  and the knob K can rotate together. When rotating the knob K or the plug  111 , the knob K or the plug  111  can drive the transmission spindle  120  rotate, the transmission spindle  120  in rotation can drive the bush  130  rotate and then the bush  130  in rotation can drive the actuation element  142  swing to move the latchbolt  141  protrude from or retract into the housing  143 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 , the bush  130  includes at least one actuation convex  131  and the actuation element  142  includes at least one pushed convex  142   b  in the actuation hole  142   a  in this embodiment. The actuation convex  131  is designed to push the pushed convex  142   b . When the bush  130  is driven to rotate by the transmission spindle  120 , the actuation convex  131  can push the pushed convex  142   b  to move the actuation element  142  in swinging movement, as a result, the actuation element  142  can move the latchbolt  141  protrude from or retract into the housing  143 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2, 6 and 8 , the lock mechanism  100  further includes a fixing plate  170  having a fixing base  171  and a first escutcheon  180  having a first opening  181 . The plug assembly  110  is installed in the fixing base  171  and the cylinder  112  is installed in a through hole  172  of the fixing base  171 . The first escutcheon  180  is used to cover the fixing plate  170  and the cylinder  112 , and the first opening  181  reveals the plug  111 . Preferably, the lock mechanism  100  further includes an interior lid  190 A and a second escutcheon  190 B. The second escutcheon  190 B, which is located between the first escutcheon  180  and the fixing plate  170 , is provided to cover the fixing plate  170 . The interior lid  190 A is provided to cover and rivet with the second escutcheon  190 B, and the fixing plate  170  is located between the interior lid  190 A and the second escutcheon  190 B so can improve the mechanical strength of the lock mechanism  100  and prevent the damage of the lock mechanism  100  caused by knock. The second escutcheon  190 B has a second opening  191  revealing the cylinder  112  and the plug  111 . In this embodiment, the first escutcheon  180  covers the second escutcheon  190 B and the cylinder  112  and only reveals the plug  111 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the cross-section view drawings represent the lock mechanism  100  mounted on a door D 1  and a door D 2  having different thicknesses, and the door D 1  is thicker than the door D 2 . With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 6 , the lock mechanism  100  is mounted on the thicker door D 1 , and the exterior actuation assembly  100   a  and the interior actuation assembly  100   b  are mounted on a first lateral side D 11  and a second lateral side D 12  of the door D 1 , respectively. The first coupling end portion  111   a  of the plug  111 , the transmission spindle  120 , the bush  130  and the latchbolt assembly  140  are located in a through hole D 13  that communicates the first lateral side D 11  and the second lateral side D 12 . With reference to  FIG. 6 , the bush  130  is located at a first position in the actuation hole  142   a . With reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the transmission spindle  120  is driven to rotate by the plug  111  or the knob K in rotation, then the transmission spindle  120  in rotation can drive the bush  130  rotate and the bush  130  in rotation can push the actuation element  142  in swinging movement to move the latchbolt  141  protruding from or retracting into the housing  143 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , owing to the bush  130  is accommodated in the actuation hole  142   a  and the first coupling end portion  111   a  and the second coupling end portion  121  are accommodated in the bush  130 , the first coupling end portion  111   a  of the plug  111  will not block the latchbolt assembly  140  when the lock mechanism  100  is mounted on the thinner door D 2 . The latchbolt assembly  140  can move toward the cylinder  112  of the plug assembly  110  and the bush  130  can move from the first position (shown as  FIG. 6 ) to a second position (shown as  FIG. 7 ) in the actuation hole  142   a  to change the distance between the latchbolt assembly  140  and the plug assembly  110 . Accordingly, the exterior actuation assembly  100   a  and the interior actuation assembly  100   b  can be mounted on a first lateral side D 21  and a second lateral side D 22  of the door D 2 , respectively. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , owing to the bush  130  coupling with the transmission spindle  120  is movably accommodated in the actuation hole  142   a  of the actuation element  142 , the latchbolt assembly  140  can move close toward the plug assembly  110  without the blocking of the first coupling end portion  111   a  of the plug  111  between the cylinder  112  and the latchbolt assembly  140 . The lock mechanism  100  can be mounted on doors having different thicknesses, especially a thin door, and has visual advantage of flatness. 
     With reference to  FIG. 9 , the diagram represents a second embodiment of the present invention, and the difference between the first and second embodiments is the shape of the interior lid  190 A. 
     While this invention has been particularly illustrated and described in detail with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that is not limited to the specific features shown and described and various modified and changed in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.