Patent Publication Number: US-2019194973-A1

Title: Lock

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a lock, and more particularly to a lever lock. 
     Related Prior Art 
     Locks generally include knob locks and lever locks, which can find wide application in rooms, offices, dressing room, etc. The knob locks are easy to install on a door and to operate. Although knob locks are easy for a user to grip and rotate, they still have the following disadvantages. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , which is an exploded view of a knob lock  80  disclosed in Taiwan Patent No. M527903, the knob lock  80  includes two handles  81 , a positioning structure  82 , a lock cylinder  83 , an actuating structure  84  and a telescopic structure  85 . Each of the handles  81  is a unitary structure, and includes a protrusion  811  at one end and a hole  812  at another. The protrusion  811  is a hollow and aligned with the hole  812 . The positioning structure  82  includes two positioning discs  821 , a cover  822 , an assembling member  823 , a threaded sleeve  824 , a U-shaped plate a first fixing plate  826 , a spring-fixing portion  827 , and a second fixing plate  828 . The positioning discs  821  are fixed to the protrusions  811  of the handles  81 . The cover  822  is provided for insertion of the assembling member  823  which is fixed to one end of the U-shaped plate  825 . The threaded sleeve  824 , the U-shaped plate  825  and the first fixing plate  826  are connected to one another. The spring-fixing portion  827  is formed on the U-shaped plate  825 . The second fixing plate  828  is fixed to the U-shaped plate  825 . 
     The lock cylinder  83  includes a fixing member  831 , a first connecting sleeve  832 , a drive member  833 , a tongue  834 , a second connecting sleeve  835 , and a press assembly  836 . The fixing member  831  is disposed in one of the handles  81 . The first connecting sleeve  832  has two ends sleeved onto the fixing member  831  and the drive member  833 , respectively. The first connecting sleeve  832  of the lock cylinder  83  and the positioning structure  82  of the U-shaped plate  825  mutually restrict each other&#39;s freedom of action. The drive member  833  and the fixing member  831  are assembled together within the first connecting sleeve  832 . The tongue  834  is connected to the drive member  833 . The second connecting sleeve  835  has two ends connected to the tongue  834  and the press assembly  836 , respectively. The press assembly  836  is disposed in another of the handles  81 , and includes a connecting portion  8361 , a C-shaped piece  8362  and an upper cover  8363  which are assembled together for insertion of the tongue  834 . 
     The actuating structure  84  includes at least one spring  841 , a spring-stop portion  842 , a first connecting portion  843  and a second connecting portion  844 . The spring  841  has two ends fixed to the spring-fixing portion  827  and the spring-stop portion  842 , respectively. The spring-stop portion  842  is disposed on the first connecting portion  843  which is connected to the second connecting portion  844 . 
     The handles  81  of the abovementioned knob lock  80  are knobs, so that it is inconvenient for a user with hands full of items to open the door since he/she has to put the items down in order to rotate the knob handle  81 . If the lock is a lever lock  9 , as shown in FIG. 9, the user can easily open the door by simply pushing the lever down, and this is the function that the knob lock  80  cannot achieve. Besides, the knob lock  80  is quite difficult for those who are old or with injured hands to grab and rotate, and the lever lock  90  is easier to operate than the knob lock  80 . Therefore, the lever lock  90  becomes indispensable to the daily life of those who are old or with injured hands. 
     Most of the lever locks  90  are provides with a rotary button to lock the inner components to prevent unlocking from outside. However, the user cannot tell by appearance whether the inner components are locked or not, therefore, the user often forgets to lock the door or has to find the locking direction from another end of the door handle, which causes inconveniences in use. Besides, the rotary button is very small and therefore difficult to operate, and the location of force application is too close to the frame of the door, which will cause interference with the user&#39;s hands. 
     Furthermore, the internal structure of the lever lock  90  is complicated, and the spring (not shown) inside the lever lock  90  will become fatigue after long time of use, causing loosening of the inner components, so that the lever of the lever lock  90  cannot be maintained parallel to the floor, which makes the lever lock  90  inconvenient to use, and therefore reduces the life of the lever lock  90 . 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY 
     One objective of the present invention is to provide a lock which is durable and can be effortlessly pressing a press member, and allows the user to tell by appearance whether the lock is locked or not. 
     To achieve the above objective, a lock provided by the invention comprises: 
     a drive unit including a first rotatable connecting member, a second rotatable connecting member opposite the first rotatable connecting member, and a drive member connected between the first and second rotatable connecting members, the drive member including a first drive portion connected to and driven to rotate by the first rotatable connecting member, and a second drive portion connected to and driven to move by the second rotatable connecting member; 
     a press member disposed in the first rotatable connecting member in a pressable manner and connected to the drive member; 
     a first sleeve sleeved onto the first rotatable connecting member to fix the drive member, and including a first engaging surface for fixing the drive member, and a first positioning groove formed in the first engaging surface, the first positioning groove including a first fixing hole, a first positioning hole, and a first positioning portion surrounding the first fixing hole and the first positioning hole; 
     a second sleeve sleeved onto the second rotatable connecting member to fix the drive member, and including: a second engaging surface for fixing the drive member, and a second positioning groove formed in the second engaging surface, the second positioning groove including a second fixing hole, a second positioning hole, and a second positioning portion surrounding the second fixing hole and the second positioning hole; 
     a first spring including a first expansion portion disposed in the first positioning groove and driven to move by the first rotatable connecting member, a first end inserted in the first fixing hole and driven to move by the first drive portion, and a second end inserted in the first positioning hole and driven to move by the first drive portion; 
     a second spring including a second expansion portion disposed in the second positioning groove and driven to move by the second rotatable connecting member, a first end inserted in the second fixing hole and driven to move by the second drive portion, and a second end inserted in the second positioning hole and driven to move by the second drive portion; 
     a first horizontal lever sleeved onto and driven to rotate by the first rotatable connecting member, and including: a first assembling portion to be connected to the first rotatable connecting member, and a first gripping portion extended from the first assembling portion and to be pressed by a user, the first assembling portion including an insertion hole for insertion of the first rotatable connecting member and the press member; and 
     a second horizontal lever sleeved onto and driven to rotate by the second rotatable connecting member, and including: a second assembling portion connected to the second rotatable connecting member, and a second gripping portion extended from the second assembling portion and to be pressed by the user. 
     Preferably, a first cover is disposed between the first assembling portion and the first sleeve, and includes a first threaded portion meshed with a first threaded portion of the first sleeve. 
     Preferably, a second cover is disposed between the second assembling portion and the second sleeve, and includes a second threaded portion to be meshed with a second threaded portion of the second sleeve. 
     Preferably, the first positioning groove includes a first insertion hole for insertion of the first rotatable connecting member. 
     Preferably, the second positioning groove includes a second insertion hole for insertion of the second rotatable connecting member. 
     The present invention has the following advantages over the conventional lock: firstly, the first and second horizontal levers are horizontally arranged and each are provided with a gripping portion which can be gripped and rotated easily by a user. Secondly, the press member is disposed in the first rotatable connecting member in a pressable manner, which allows the user to tell by appearance whether the lock is locked or not. Thirdly, two springs are disposed in the positioning grooves of the two sleeves, which improve not only the structure but also the service life of the lock. 
     These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a conventional knob lock; 
         FIG. 2  shows a conventional lever lock; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the lock in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the lock in accordance with the invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the lock in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is an operational view of the invention showing that the spring is being driven to rotate. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention will be clearer from the following description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3-5 , a lock  200  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention comprises: a drive unit  10 , a press member  20 , a first sleeve  30 A, a second sleeve  30 B, a first spring  40 A, a second spring  40 B, a first horizontal lever  50 A, a second horizontal lever  50 B, a first cover  60 A and a second cover  60 B. 
     The drive unit  10  includes a first rotatable connecting member  11 , a second rotatable connecting member  12  opposite the first rotatable connecting member  11 , and a drive member  13  connected between the first and second rotatable connecting members  11 ,  12 . The drive member  13  includes a first drive portion connected to and driven to rotate by the first rotatable connecting member, and a second drive portion connected to and driven to move by the second rotatable connecting member  12 . The detailed interior structure of the drive member  13  is conventional, and therefore further description has been omitted. 
     The press member  20  is disposed in a pressable manner in the first rotatable connecting member  11  and connected to the drive member  13 . When the press member  20  is pressed down, the drive member  13  will be fixed by the internal components of the lock, so that the lock is locked in a locked position (not shown), so that the user can easily tell by appearance whether the locked is locked or not, and the lock is very easy to operate. 
     The first sleeve  30 A is sleeved onto the first rotatable connecting member  11  to fix the drive member  13 , and includes a first engaging surface  31 A for fixing the drive member  13 , and a first positioning groove  32 A formed in the first engaging surface  31 A. The first positioning groove  32 A includes a first fixing hole  321 A, a first positioning hole  322 A, a first positioning portion  323 A surrounding the first fixing hole  321 A and the first positioning hole  322 A, and a first insertion hole  324 A for insertion of the first rotatable connecting member  11 . Besides, the first sleeve  30 A includes a first threaded portion  33 A formed on an outer surface thereof. 
     The second sleeve  30 B is sleeved onto the second rotatable connecting member  12  to fix the drive member  13 , and includes: a second engaging surface  31 B for fixing the drive member  13 , and a second positioning groove  32 B formed in the second engaging surface  31 B. The second positioning groove  32 B includes a second fixing hole  321 B, a second positioning hole  322 B, a second positioning portion  323 B surrounding the second fixing hole  321 B and the second positioning hole  322 B, and a second insertion hole  324 B for insertion of the second rotatable connecting member  12 . Besides, the second sleeve  30 B is provided on an outer surface thereof with a second threaded portion  33 B. 
     The first spring  40 A includes a first expansion portion  41 A disposed in the first positioning groove  32 A and driven to move by the first rotatable connecting member  11 , a first end  42 A inserted in the first fixing hole  321 A and driven to move by the first drive portion, and a second end  43 A inserted in the first positioning hole  322 A and driven to move by the first drive portion. Besides, the first spring  40 A is sleeved onto a first engaging member  70 A which is disposed in the first positioning groove  32 A, and the first engaging member  70 A includes a first engaging portion  71 A for engaging with the first rotatable connecting member  11 . 
     The second spring  40 B includes a second expansion portion  41 B disposed in the second positioning groove  32 B and driven to move by the second rotatable connecting member  12 , a first end  42 B inserted in the second fixing hole  321 B and driven to move by the second drive portion, and a second end  43 B inserted in the second positioning hole  322 B and driven to move by the second drive portion. Besides, the second spring  40 B is sleeved onto a second engaging member  70 B which is disposed in the second positioning groove  32 B, and the second engaging member  70 B includes a second engaging portion  71 B for engaging with the second rotatable connecting member  12 . 
     The first horizontal lever  50 A is sleeved onto and driven to rotate by the first rotatable connecting member  11 , and includes: a first assembling portion  51 A to be connected to the first rotatable connecting member  11 , and a first gripping portion  52 A extended from the first assembling portion  51 A and to be pressed by a user. The first assembling portion  51 A includes an insertion hole  511 A for insertion of the first rotatable connecting member  11  and the press member  20 . 
     The second horizontal lever  50 B is sleeved onto and driven to rotate by the second rotatable connecting member  12 , and includes: a second assembling portion  51 B connected to the second rotatable connecting member  12 , and a second gripping portion  52 B extended from the second assembling portion  51 B and to be pressed by a user. 
     The first cover  60 A is disposed between the first assembling portion  51 A and the first sleeve  30 A, and includes a first threaded portion  61 A meshed with the first threaded portion  33 A of the first sleeve  30 A. 
     The second cover  60 B is disposed between the second assembling portion  51 B and the second sleeve  30 B, and includes a second threaded portion  61 B to be meshed with the second threaded portion  33 B of the second sleeve  30 B. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , when the first rotatable connecting member  11  is rotated counterclockwise by a user (which is for exemplary only but not for limiting purpose, and the first rotatable connecting member  11  can also be rotated clockwise), the first drive portion of the drive member  13  will be driven to rotate together with the first rotatable connecting member  11 , then the second end  43 A of the first spring  40 A will be driven by the first drive portion to move away from the first positioning portion  323 A. The spring (not shown) of the conventional lever lock will become fatigue after long time of use, causing loosening of the inner components. Therefore, with the design of the invention, the two springs (the first spring  40 A and the second spring  40 B) are disposed in the positioning grooves of the two sleeves (the first sleeve  30 A and the second sleeve  30 B), so that the whole structural strength is increased to improve the durability and service life of the lock of the invention. The user can also rotate the second rotatable connecting member  12  in clockwise or counterclockwise direction by the same method as mentioned above, and therefore, further description is omitted. 
     What mentioned above are the structural relations of the respective components of the invention, and the advantages of the invention are explained as follows: 
     Firstly, service life is prolonged. The spring of the conventional lever lock will be fatigued after a period time of use, so that the lever of the lever lock cannot be maintained parallel to the floor. The invention solves the above problem by providing two springs (the first spring  40 A and the second spring  40 B) onto the two sleeves (the first sleeve  30 A and the second sleeve  30 B), so that the whole structural strength is increased to improve the durability and service life of the lock of the invention. 
     Secondly, locking by pressing, since the conventional lever lock is locked by rotating the rotary button, the user cannot tell by appearance whether the lock is locked or not. Besides, the rotary button is too small and therefore difficult to operate. The invention solves the above problem by providing the press member  20  in a pressable manner in the first rotatable connecting member  11 , so that the user can easily tell by appearance whether the lock is locked or not (by checking if the press member  20  is pressed or not), and pressing the press member is easier than rotating the rotary button. Besides, locking by rotating the rotary button has the problem that the location of force application is too close to the frame of the door, which will cause interference with the user&#39;s hand, and the invention has solved this problem by changing the way of locking by rotating to locking by pressing or pushing (the press member). 
     Thirdly, horizontally maintained levers, the handle of the conventional knob lock is a knob and therefore quite difficult for those who are old or with injured hands to grab and rotate. The first and second horizontal levers  50 A,  50 B are maintained in parallel to the floor, and the lock can easily be unlocked by slightly pressing the first or second gripping portion  52 A,  52 B, which is the best choice for those who need a crutch or those with disability. 
     While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.