Abstract:
A locking assembly is provided for a pivotally openable window or door security grille ( 14, 82 ) of a building. To unlock the security grille ( 14, 82 ), a user operates an electric punch key pad ( 52 ) to cause a solenoid rod ( 168 ) to disengage a depression ( 182 ) and the operates a handle ( 54 ) to cause an actuator support bracket ( 100 ) to pivot in a forward direction from a first reference location to a second reference location against the influence of a coil spring ( 132 ), whereby a catch surface ( 130 ) no longer engages against a shaft member ( 26 ) which is free to leave a lockable location and allow the security grille ( 14, 82 ) to be pivoted to an opened position, and whereafter a slidable pin ( 152 ) engages a depression ( 150 ) under the influence of a coil spring ( 156 ). To lock the security grille ( 14, 82 ), the user pivots the security grille ( 14, 82 ) to a closed position so as to cause the shaft member ( 26 ) to apply a force against the slidable pin ( 152 ) that disengages the slidable pin ( 152 ) from the depression ( 150 ) against the opposing influence of the coil spring ( 156 ), whereby the actuator support bracket ( 100 ) is caused to pivot in a reverse direction from the second reference location to the first reference location under the influence of the coil spring ( 132 ) until the catch surface ( 130 ) engages against the shaft member ( 26 ) so as to prevent the shaft member ( 26 ) leaving the lockable location, and whereafter the solenoid rod ( 168 ) reengages the depression ( 182 ).

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to security grille locking systems for windows, doors and the like building openings, and, in particular, to pivoting, lockable window security grilles that may be opened when required, say, in cases of emergency to allow persons to escape the building through the window. The present invention more particularly relates to a locking assembly for window and door security grilles. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Commonly, unlawful entry into buildings is facilitated through windows. Conventional window locks only prevent the prising open of the window from the outside by manipulation of its frame. Window locks are ineffective where the objective is to smash the window glass. Once the glass is smashed, the intruder may clear a way through the window to enter the building or extend their arm around the broken glass to manipulate the lock. 
     Security grilles provide a more secure, if less aesthetically pleasing, means of preventing unlawful entry through windows. However, not all security grilles are pivotally openable from adjacent the window, and those which do have this feature are, in the main, difficult to open or unreliable to operate because of shortcomings in the locking assembly. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a locking assembly for pivotally openable window and door security grilles which will enable such grilles to easily and rapidly open so as to allow the occupants of the building to readily escape the building in case of an emergency. 
     It is a preferred object of the present invention to provide a locking assembly for pivotally openable window and door security grilles that may be operated from both the inside and outside of a building. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, there is provided a locking assembly for a pivotally openable window or door security grille of a building, comprising: 
     an electronic punch key pad operable from within the building, 
     a solenoid means having a solenoid rod retractable by operation of the electronic punch key pad, 
     a locking shaft means secured at a first end thereof to the security grille, and including a shaft member at its second end thereof, the shaft member adapted to reach a lockable location when the security grille is pivoted from an opened position to a closed position, 
     an actuator support bracket to which the solenoid means is mounted, the actuator support bracket being adapted to pivot in a forward direction from a first reference location to a second reference location so as to facilitate unlocking of the security grille and to pivot in a reverse direction from the second reference location to the first reference location so as to facilitate locking of the security grille, the actuator support bracket also having mounted thereon a slidable pin adapted to extend in a first longitudinal direction under the influence of first spring bias means and to retract in a second longitudinal direction opposite the first longitudinal direction under force applied by the shaft member of the locking shaft means when the security grille is pivoted from the opened position to the closed position, the actuator support bracket further including a catch surface adapted to engage against the shaft member of the locking shaft means so as to prevent the shaft member leaving the lockable location, 
     first stop means for controllably preventing the actuator support bracket pivoting in the forward direction from the first reference location to the second reference location, 
     second stop means for controllably preventing the actuator support bracket pivoting in the reverse direction from the second reference location to the first reference location, 
     handle means operable from within the building to enable the actuator support bracket to pivot from the first reference location to the second reference location, and 
     second spring bias means adapted to oppose the actuator support bracket pivoting from the first reference location to the second reference location when the first stop means no longer prevents the actuator support bracket pivoting in the forward direction, 
     the arrangement being such that; to unlock the security grille, a user operates the electronic punch key pad to cause the solenoid rod to disengage the first stop means and then operates the handle means to cause the actuator support bracket to pivot in the forward direction from the first reference location to the second reference location against the influence of the second spring bias means, whereby the catch surface no longer engages against the shaft member which is free to leave the lockable location and allow the security grille to be pivoted to an opened position, and whereafter the slidable pin engages the second stop means under the influence of the first spring bias means; and to lock the security grille, the user pivots the security grille to a closed position so as to cause the shaft member to apply a force against the slidable pin that disengages the slidable pin from the second stop means against the opposing influence of the first spring bias means, whereby the actuator support bracket is caused to pivot in the reverse direction from the second reference location to the first reference location under the influence of the second spring bias means until the catch surface engages against the shaft member so as to prevent the shaft member leaving the lockable location, and whereafter the solenoid rod reengages the first stop means. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view from the outside of a building showing a cut-away portion of the building wall structure on which is located a window, a pivotally openable window security grille, and part of a Referred locking assembly therefor, 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the inside of the building showing the window and security grille of FIG. 1, and another part of the preferred locking assembly therefor, 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view from the outside of a building showing a cut-away portion of the building wall structure on which is located a door, a pivotally openable door security grille, and part of a preferred locking assembly therefor, 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view from the inside of the building showing the door of FIG. 3, and another part of the preferred locking assembly therefor, 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view through the building wall structure shown in FIG. 3, and optionally through the building wall structure shown in FIG. 1, showing the preferred locking assembly, 
     FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the main locking mechanism for the locking assembly shown in FIG. 5, 
     FIG. 7 is an end view of the locking mechanism (when assembled) of FIG. 6 from the end facing the inside of the building, in which the locking mechanism is in a locked position, 
     FIG. 8 is a side view of the locking mechanism (when assembled) of FIG. 6 when in the locked position, 
     FIG. 9 an end view similar to that of FIG. 7, but in which the locking mechanism is in an opened position, and 
     FIG. 10 aside view similar to that of FIG. 8, but in which the locking mechanism is in an opened position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The building wall structure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 consists of an outside wall  10 , an inside wall  11 , and has mounted thereto a window  12 , a window security grille  14  and various components of a locking assembly for controlling the opening and locking of the grille  14 . The grille  14  is pivotally connected to the outside wall  10  by a pair of conventional hinge structures  16 , 18  that enable the grille  14  to be pivotally opened away from the window  12  when the locking assembly is in an opened position. 
     Secured to the grille  14  is an extension bracket  20  to which is connected a locking shaft structure  21 . The locking shaft structure  21  consists of a cable mounting member  22 , to which is attached a flexible cable  24 . The cable  24  is secured at its end remote from the mounting member  22  to a shaft member  26  having a cylindrical main body portion  28 , a substantially conical leading head portion  30 , and an annular groove portion  32  therebetween. 
     The locking shaft structure  21  is adapted to pass through a passageway  34  defined by a substantially tubular open ended connecting structure  36  that communicates from the outer side of the outside wall  10  of the building to the cavity side of the inside wall  11  of the building via the cavity or wall space  38  therebetween. 
     As shown in FIG. 5, the substantially tubular connecting structure  36  includes a first flanged piece  40  defining the entrance or outer opening of the passageway  34  and which receives therein a forward portion of an outwardly threaded tubular member  42  of the structure  36 . The structure  36  also includes a second flanged piece  44  which is threadably engaged to the tubular member  42  and which abuts against the cavity side of the outside wall  10 . The first flanged piece  40  may also be threaded so that the co-operative threading of both the first and second flanged pieces  40  and  44  with the tubular member  42  allow the locations of the flanged pieces  40 ,  44  on the tubular member  42  to be adjusted to suit varying thicknesses of outside walls. 
     The rearward portion of the tubular member  42  is secured against a mounting panel  46  of a housing or enclosure  48  for a locking mechanism  49  shown in FIGS. 6 to  10 . As shown in FIG. 5, enclosure  48  extends through the inside wall  11  and has an interior facing panel  50  from which is mounted manually operable and visible components of the locking assembly which are accessible from the inside of the building, which components comprise an electronic touch key pad  52 , a rotatable handle  54 , and an on-off lamp  55 . A lower part  56  of the facing panel  50  is removable to reveal a battery compartment  58  located within the enclosure  48  for housing one or more batteries  59  adapted to provide power to the locking assembly. Secured behind the key pad  52  is an electronic circuit board  60  for the key pad  52 . 
     In the case of the door grille, and optionally in the case of the window grille, there is secured against the outside wall an exterior facing panel  62  of an enclosure  64  extending partly through the outside wall  10 , as shown in FIG.  5 . Mounted from the exterior facing panel  62  are manually operable and visible components of the locking assembly which are accessible from the outside of the building, which components comprise an electronic touch key pad  66 , a rotatable handle  68 , and an on-off lamp  70 . The key pad  66  and on-off lamp  70  have power thereto supplied from the one or more batteries  59  housed in compartment  58 , and the key pad  66  shares the same circuit board  60  as the key pad  52 . 
     The rotatable handles  54 ,  68  are interconnected by a rod  72  such that the rotation of one of the handles  54 ,  68  will cause the other one of the handles  54 ,  68  to rotate in unison. The rod  72  passes through apertures at the rear of the enclosures  48 ,  64  and there is a stop pin and washer arrangement  74  adjacent the aperture at the rear of enclosure  48  to prevent longitudinal movement of the rod  72 , and so protect against tampering. 
     The building wall structure shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 (as with that of FIGS.  1  and  2 ), consists of an outside wall  76 , an inside wall  78 , and has mounted thereto a door  80 , a door security grille  82 , and various components of a locking assembly for controlling the opening and locking of the grille  82 . The door security grille  82  opens in a similar way to the window security grille  14  of FIGS. 1 and 2, and the various components of the locking assembly for controlling the opening and locking of the door security grille  82  are substantially identical, in structure and function, to the locking assembly components for the window security grille  14  described above by reference to FIGS. 1,  2  and  5 , with the exception, optionally, that the window security grille locking assembly lacks components that will enable the window grille to be opened by operation of the locking assembly from the outside of the building. Hence, the structure and function of the locking assembly for controlling the opening and locking of the door security grille  82  will not be described separately, but can be readily understood by reference to the description of FIGS. 1,  2  and  5 . For the sake of brevity, identical numerals appearing in FIGS. 3 and 4 to those appearing in FIGS. 1 and 2 denote substantially identical features. 
     The locking mechanism  49  shown in FIGS. 6 to  10  (which locking mechanism is equally suited to operate in a locking assembly for either the window or door security grilles  14 ,  82 ), has an actuator support bracket  100  pivotally connected to the mounting panel  46  by an arrangement of nut  102 , bolt  104  and washers  106 , 107 , the nut  102  passing through aperture  107  in the support bracket  100  and through aperture  108  in the mounting panel  46  so that the support bracket  100  can pivot about axis  110 . A stop bracket  112  is welded to the mounting panel  46  and has an aperture  114  through which the rod  72  passes. The handle  54  is threadably engaged with the rod  72  and may be stably fixed thereto by the action of a screw  116  inserted into hole  118  aligned perpendicularly to the rod  72 . The rod  72  has secured thereto a projecting arm  120 , that rotates about the longitudinal axis of the rod  72  when the handle  54  (or handle  68 ) is rotated. 
     The rotating stroke of the projecting arm  120  is limited in its upward extent by the stop bracket  112 . The end of the projecting arm  120  remote of the rod  72  has a roller bearing arrangement  122  attached thereto (see FIGS. 7 to  10 ). 
     The roller bearing arrangement  122  is adapted to urge against and roll over the upper surface of a first limb portion  124  of the actuator support bracket  100  to an extent determined by the stroke of pivotal movement of the support bracket  100  relative to the mounting bracket  46 . 
     The mounting panel  46  has a hole  126  (defining one open end of the tubular member  42 ) through which the leading head portion  30  and annular groove portion  32  of shaft member  26  may pass when the security grille  14 ,  82  is in the locked position. A catch portion  128  of the actuator support bracket  100  has an arcuately cut-out edge surface  130  that is adapted to abut against the correspondingly curved, annular groove portion  32  of shaft member  26  when the security grille  14 ,  82  is in the locked position. 
     There is a coil spring  132  connected at a first one of its hooked ends  134  to a slotted reference tab  136  projecting from mounting panel  46  and connected at its other hooked end  138  to a slot  140  through the first limb portion  124  of the actuator support bracket  100 . The coil spring  132  applies a constant spring bias so as to urge the actuator support bracket  100  to pivot in an anticlockwise direction about pivot axis  110  by reference to FIGS. 6,  7  and  9 . However, the spring bias applied to the actuator support bracket  100  only operates within a limited pivoting stroke determined by upward and downward stop arrangements. 
     The pivoting stroke of the actuator support bracket  100  is limited in its upward extent by abutment of the edge surface  130  of catch portion  128  against the annular groove portion  32  of shaft member  26  when the security grille  14 ,  82  is in the locked position. 
     The actuator support bracket  100  has a second limb portion  142  which has a spacer part  143  and a stop support part  144  bent perpendicularly thereto. The stop support part  144  has an aperture  146  therethrough and the catch portion  128  has a similarly sized aperture  148  therethrough, both apertures  146 , 148  being horizontally aligned with each other and with a similarly sized depression  150  in the mounting panel  46 . A stop pin  152  is adapted to slide through the apertures  146 , 148  and has an end  149  thereof adapted to engage within the depression  150  when the security grille  14 ,  82  is in the opened position. There is a push plate  154  welded to the slidable stop pin  152  and located substantially between the catch portion  128  and stop support part  144  of the second limb portion  142  of the actuator support bracket  100 . The push plate  154  extends across the front of the leading head portion  30  and is adapted to abuttingly receive, and be pushed by, the leading head portion  30  in order to facilitate locking of the security grille  14 ,  82 . There is a coil spring  156  axially and compressingly fitted around that part of the stop pin  152  located between the push plate  154  and stop support part  144 , so as to apply a constant spring bias outwardly in both of its axial directions against the stop support part  144  (in one direction), and against the push plate  154  (in the other direction) so as to urge the push plate  154  (and slidable stop pin  152 , to which the push plate  154  is welded) to slide in a direction towards and against the leading head portion  30  (when the security grille  14 ,  82  is in the locked position) and to urge the stop pin  152  to slide in a direction towards and into the depression  150  (when the security grille  14 ,  82  is in the opened position). 
     The pivoting stroke of the actuator support bracket  100  is limited in its downward extent by engagement of the stop pin  152  with the first depression  150  in the mounting panel  46 . 
     A solenoid  158  is fixed by screws  160 , 161  through screw holes  162 ,  163  in the first limb portion  124  and through screw holes  164 ,  165  in the upper wall  166  of a solenoid support bracket  167  to the actuator support bracket  100  so that the solenoid  158  is pivotable with the support bracket  100 . The solenoid rod  168 , retractable by action of the solenoid  158 , has a coil spring  170  axially and compressably fitted around that part of the solenoid rod  168  located between a rear wall  172  of the solenoid support bracket  167  and a press arrangement formed by a screw  174  passed diametrically through an aperture  176  in the solenoid rod  168  and secured thereto by a nut  178 , together with a washer  180 . The coil spring  170  applies a constant spring bias outwardly in both of its axial directions against the rear wall  172  of the solenoid support bracket  167 , which is stationary (in one direction), and against the press arrangement (in the other direction) so as to urge the solenoid rod  168  (and press arrangement) to extend in a direction towards and into a similarly sized depression  182  in the mounting plate  46  (when the security grille  14 ,  82  is in the closed position). 
     The retraction of the solenoid rod  168  is controlled by power supplied to the solenoid  158  from the one or more batteries  59  and by the correct punching of a pre-programmed numerical code into either of the key pads  52 ,  66  via the circuit board  60  and connecting wiring  184 . 
     In summary, when the locking mechanism (and hence the security grille) is in the locked position, the actuator support bracket  100  is effectively prevented from pivotally moving in an anticlockwise (upward) direction about pivot axis  110  under the compressive influence of the coil spring  132  by virtue of the abutment of the edge surface  130  of catch portion  128  against the annular groove portion  32  of shaft member  26  (at which position solenoid rod  168  is engaged with the depression  182  in the mounting panel  46 ). Note that the stop pin  152  is not engaged with the depression  150  at this stage. The actuator support bracket  100  is effectively prevented from pivotally moving in a clockwise (downward) direction about pivot axis  110  against the compressive influence of the coil spring  132  by virtue of the engagement of the solenoid rod  168  with the depression  182 . Note that no amount of turning the handle  54  will cause the actuator support bracket  100  to pivot either anticlockwise or clockwise when the locking mechanism (and hence the security grille) is in the locked position. 
     In order to cause the locking mechanism to acquire the unlocked position (and so unlock the security grille), the user punches the correct code into either of the key pads  52 ,  66  which causes the solenoid rod  168  to retract from the depression  182 , thus freeing the actuator support bracket  100  from any impediment to pivoting in a clockwise direction when the user turns the handle  54  clockwise against the compressive influence of coil spring  132 . The actuator support bracket  100  will pivot in a clockwise direction until the stop pin  152  engages with the depression  150  in the mounting panel  46  under the expansive influence of the coil spring  156 , at which position the catch portion  128  of the actuator support bracket  100  is spaced far enough apart from the annular groove portion  32  of shaft member  26  that shaft member  26 , and the locking shaft structure  21  in its entirety, can be passed through the passageway  34 , thus enabling the security grille to be pivotally opened. The locking shaft structure  21  is assisted to pass through the passageway  34  by a slight push provided by the push plate  154  when the stop pin  152  enters the depression  150 . Thus unlocked, the locking shaft structure  21  exits the passageway  34  through flanged piece  40  in the outside wall and the security grille can be opened fully about its hinge structures  16 ,  18  to facilitate emergency evacuation of persons from the building or entry of emergency personnel into the building. 
     In order to cause the locking mechanism to acquire the locked position (and so lock the security grille), the user passes the locking shaft structure  21  into the passageway  34  and pushes the security grille shut so that the force applied in shutting the security grille is transferred through the locking shaft structure  21  against the push plate  154 , which compresses the coil spring  156 . As the push plate  154  is urged towards the stop support part  144 , the slidable stop pin  152  is urged out of its engagement with the depression  150 , thus freeing the actuation support bracket  100  from any impediment to pivoting in an anticlockwise direction about pivot axis  110  under the compressive influence of the coil spring  132 . At the time when the stop pin  152  is no longer engaged within the depression  150 , the leading head portion  30  of the shaft member  26  has been pushed past the edge surface  130  of catch portion  128  so that, when the actuator support bracket  100  pivots in an anticlockwise direction about pivot axis  1   10  under the compressive influence of the coil spring  132 , the edge surface  130  of catch portion  128  is caused to abut against the annular groove portion  32  of shaft member  26 , thus preventing the actuator support bracket  100  from any further pivotal movement in such direction. 
     Various modifications may be made in details of design and construction without departing from the scope and ambit of the invention.