Abstract:
An espagnolette-lock for use on a leaf within a sash-frame having a casing, an operating rod movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, a controller for actuating the operating rod, a springy element for automatically restoring the operating rod to the locked position, a manual controller for moving the operating rod to the unlocked position and for restoring the springy element to a compressed condition, a locking mechanism for maintaining the operating rod in the unlocked position during an opening of the leaf from the sash-frame, and an unlocking mechanism for releasing the locking mechanism when the leaf is closed into the sash-frame so as to return the operating rod to the locked position. The locking mechanism includes a toggle joint having a first rod and a second rod connected together by a fulcrum. The first rod is connected through a hinged joint to the operating rod. The second rod is connected through a hinged joint to the casing. The fulcrum and the respective hinged joints are substantially in alignment parallel to the operating rod when the operating rod is in the unlocked position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to an espagnolette or espagnolette-lock for a door, French window or the like, comprising, accommodated in a central casing, a control mechanism designed so as to be capable of actuating at least one operating rod and including, springy means for automatically restoring the operating rod into its locking position, as well as manual control means. The control means is a tumbler actuated through a control handle, for ensuring the unlocking of this operating rod and resetting of the springy means. The invention further includes a locking device capable of maintaining the operating rod in its unlocked position upon opening of the leaf of the door, French window or the like. The invention also includes unlocking means capable of releasing the locking device when closing the leaf against the sash-frame, in order to allow the restoring of the operating rod into its locking position. 
     This invention will find its application in the field of the building iron-mongery and in particular relates to locking fittings. 
     (2) Description of the Prior Art 
     One should indeed note that there are already known espagnolettes or espagnolettes-locks meeting the above description. Such espagnolettes facilitate the locking of the door, French window or the like in that the operating rod or rods are automatically pushed back into their locking position under the action of springy restoring means the action of which is, released at the very moment at which the leaf is closed against the sash-frame. When unlocking and opening this leaf, the action performed by the user on a control handle results into bringing this or these operating rods into their unlocked position and in ensuring the resetting of the aforementioned springy means, while an adequate locking device simultaneously maintains the operating rod or rods in this unlocked position against the action of the spring which substantially forms the springy restoring means. 
     Finally, such an espagnolette also includes unlocking means which are capable of releasing the locking device when closing the leaf against the sash-frame, in order to allow the restoring of these operating rods into their locking position. 
     An espagnolette meeting this description is already known. In particular, the locking device consists of a locking pawl which is tiltingly fitted at the level of a face-plate which usually covers the various ogans of the espagnolette or espagnolette-lock at the front edge of the leaf. This locking pawl acts in the direction of moving of this leaf, so that, when opening the leaf, it automatically tilts towards the sash-frame, this under the action of a spring, whereas, when closing this leaf, the sash-frame is capable of pushing back this locking pawl against the spring. 
     One should note that such a locking pawl is extended, by a lever through which it is capable of maintaining the operating rod or rods in an unlocked position, this at the very moment at which the leaf is opened and, hence, as soon as this locking pawl could be released from the sash-frame. 
     Such a solution has the drawback that the release mechanism is dissociated from a locking organ of the espagnolette or espagnolette-lock. This results in non-synchronous actions between the release mechanism and, the spring-bolt, which is the first of these locking organs that enters into contact with a keeper of the sash-frame. Therefore, any one of these members can strike against an organ of the sash-frame, e.g. a keeper. 
     In addition, such a locking pawl must, alone and through its locking lever arranged inside the casing, act against the action of the springy restoring means restoring the operating rods into their locking position. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The inventive step of this invention separates the function of maintaining the operating rods in the unlocked position from the releasing this retaining function when closing the leaf against the sash-frame. 
     To this end, the invention relates to an espagnolette or espagnolette-lock for a door, French window or the like, comprising, accommodated in a central casing, a control mechanism designed so as to be capable of actuating at least one operating rod. The control mechanism includes springy means for automatically restoring the operating rod into its locking position, as well as manual control means. The manual control means is a tumbler actuated through a control handle, for ensuring the unlocking of this operating rod and resetting the springy means. The invention further includes a locking device capable of maintaining the operating rod in its unlocked position upon opening of the leaf and unlocking means capable of releasing the locking device when closing the leaf against the sash-frame, in order to allow the restoring of the operating rod into its locking position. The locking device includes a toggle joint comprised of at least two rods connected to each other by means of a fulcrum. One of these rods are made integral, through a hinged joint, with the operating rod or with a support connected to the operating rod, whereas the other rod is made integral, through a hinged joint, with the casing. In unlocking position of the operating rod, the fulcrum and both hinged joints of this toggle joint are located substantially in the same alignment parallel to the direction of travelling of the operating rod or of the support, in order to sustain the toggel joint in an unstable balance position. 
     As regards the unlocking means, these substantially include a control pawl capable of pushing back the when the latter is in its unstable balance position, in order to allow the locking of the operating rod under the action of the springy means. This control pawl is associated to a spring-bolt subjected to a spring for restoring into locking position and including a retaining organ capable of maintaining this spring-bolt in an unlocked or partially unlocked position. This retaining organ being designed so as to be capable of co-operating, directly or indirectly, with this sash-frame when closing the leaf, in order to release the spring-bolt and to ensure, under the action of the control pawl associated with the retaining organ, the locking of the operating rod. 
     The advantages resulting from this invention include that the operating rods are maintained in their unlocked position, against the action of the springy means, through a mechanical unit which is in an unstable balance position and which can therefore easily be brought into unbalance under a light action. Therefore, to impart this action, it is necessary to use the restoring spring, which is finally of poor stiffness and systematically brings the spring-bolt back into locking position. Because of this poor stiffness of the restoring spring of the locking bolt, the locking can bolt easily be maintained in its unlocked or partially unlocked position when the leaf is open. To this end, the retaining organ can be of a small size and easily actuated by the sash-frame, in particular by the keeper which the spring-bolt with when closing this leaf. 
     Further aims and advantages of this invention will become clear when reading the following description which relates to an embodiment which is given only by way of an indication and a non-exhaustive example. 
    
    
     This description will be better understood when referring to the attached drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the control mechanism of an espagnolette, in particular an espagnolette-lock, according to this invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the toggle joint forming the locking device aimed at ensuring the maintaining of the operating rod or rods in unlocked position against the action of the springy means for restoring into locking position; 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic, partly cross-sectional view of the spring-bolt receiving the unlocking means capable of releasing the locking device in the shape of a toggle joint; 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view according to IV—IV of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of a spring blade associated with the spring-bolt in order to restore into active position the retaining organ the latter is provided with is provided with; 
     FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the control mechanism of an espagnolle according to the invention showing, in particular, the foldback position of the toggle joint. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in FIG. 1, this invention relates to an espagnolette or espagnolette-lock  1  for a door, French window or the like, comprising, accommodated in a central casing  2 , a control mechanism  3  capable of actuating at least one operating rod  4 ,  4 A. 
     In this respect, the espagnolette or espagnolette-lock  1  may be provided with one operating rod extending above and/or below the central casing  2 , as well as it may be provided, as shown in FIG. 1, with two operating rods extending, respectively, above and/or below said central casing  2  and which, through the control mechanism  3 , may be caused to move in one and the same direction or in opposite directions. In this latter case, this control mechanism  3  of the espagnolette or espagnolette-lock  1  acts on one of the operating rods  4  through a motion reverser  5 . 
     In addition, this control mechanism  3  can act on the operating rods  4 ,  4 A, either directly or by means of a support  6  accommodated in the casing  2  and connected at its ends, through adequate connecting means  7 , to this or these operating rods  4 ,  4 A. 
     This invention more specifically relates to the espagnolettes or espagnolettes-locks the control mechanism  3  of which includes, springy means  8  for automatically restoring these operating rods  4 ,  4 A into locking position and, manual control means  9  for allowing the user to manually ensure the unlocking of these operating rods  4 ,  4 A and the resetting of the springy means  8 . 
     In this respect, this espagnolette or espagnolette-lock  1  also includes a locking device  10  capable of maintaining the operating rods  4 ,  4 A in their unlocked postion upon opening of the leaf corresponding to the door, French window or the like, as well as unlocking means  11  capable of releasing this locking device  10  when closing the leaf against the sash-frame and of thus allowng the restoring of the operating rods  4 ,  4 A into the locking position. 
     The manual control means  9  are formed by a tumbler  12  including a recess  13  for receiving an operating square of a control handle. This tumbler  12  acts on the operating rods  4 ,  4 A through the support  6 , by means of a driving organ  14  of an adequate configuration. On this tumbler  12  may also be fitted a crown  15  provided with an actuating pawl  16  capable of acting on the stem  17  of a spring-bolt  18  which is pushed back into its locking position under the action of a restoring spring  19 . 
     In this respect, springy restoring means  20  can also act on the tumbler to systematically restore the tumbler  12  and, hence, the control handle, into a resting position upon a locking or unlocking action. 
     The manual control means  9  can also assist the springy means  8  in restoring the operating rods  4 ,  4 A into their locking position. In particular, when these operating rods  4 ,  4 A meet a hindrance preventing co-operation with the keeper accordingly arranged on the sash-frame, it may occur that the pushing force exerted by these springy restoring means  8  is insufficient to overcome this hindrance. In that case the action can be completed through the manual control means  9 . 
     Within the framework of an espagnolette-lock, the espagnolette-lock also receives a key-operated member  21  capable of acting, on a dead bolt  22  and/or on means  23  for locking the operating rods  4 ,  4 A in locking position and/or means  24  for locking the tumbler  12  in rotation in the direction corresponding to an unlocking action. 
     This being said, according to a peculiar feature of this invention, the locking device  10  which maintains the operating rods  4 ,  4 A in unlocked position against the action of the springy means  8 , upon opening of the leaf, include a toggle joint  25 . The toggle joint  25  is comprised of at least two rods  26 ,  27  connected to each other by means of a fulcrum  28 , at the level of their one end  26 A,  27 A. It should be known that one rod  26  of these rods is, at its opposite end  26 B, connected, through a hinged joint  29 , with the operating rods  4  or  4 A. As regards the other rod  27 , it is connected, at its end  27 B and through a hinged joint  30 , with the casing  2 . In addition, these members are so arranged that the fulcrum  28  and both hinged joints  29 ,  30  of this toggle joint  25  are, in the unlocked position of the operating rods  4 ,  4 A, located substantially in one and the same alignment  31  parallel to the direction of travelling  32  of these operating rods  4 ,  4 A or of the support  6 , in order to sustain the latter in an unstable balance position. 
     This espagnolette or espagnolette-lock  1 , advantageously includes, assisting means  33  for ensuring the maintaining of this toggle joint  25  in this unstable balance position during the full period in which the leaf of the door remains open and until this unstable balance is voluntarily broken by the unlocking means  11  which release the locking device  10  when closing the leaf against its sash-frame. 
     According to a preferred embodiment, these assisting means  33  include a spring  34  of poor stiffness which causes the toggle joint  25  to rest its fulcrum against a stop  35  within casing  2 . 
     As regards the unlocking means  11 , these are, as already stated above, so designed as to break this unstable balance of the toggle joint  25 , in a direction opposite the stop  35 , the very moment of closing the leaf against its sash-frame, in order to allow the operating rods  4 ,  4 A to automatically return into their locking position. According to the invention, the unlocking means  11  includes a control pawl  36 , connected with the stem  17  of the spring-bolt  18 , which through spring  19 , restores aimed at said spring-bolt  18  into its locking position, of pushing back the toggle joint  25 , so as to slightly offset the fulcrum  28  with respect to the alignment  31  of the hinged joints  29 ,  30 . This results, with respect to this fulcrum  28 , into a torque exerted by the rods  26 ,  27  under the action of the support  6  pushed back by the springy means  8 . 
     Such unlocking means  11  further include with a retaining organ  37  capable of retaining the spring-bolt  18  in an unlocked or partially locked position when the leaf is open. This retaining organ  37 , which is automatically restored into an active position under the action of a restoring spring  38 , is, in addition, designed so as to be controlled, and thus released, to release the spring-bolt  18  from the sash-frame, preferably from the keeper. 
     According to an advantageous embodiment, this retaining organ  37  is directly integrated into the head  18 A of the spring-bolt  18  and is in the shape of a lever  39  accommodated in a groove  40  provided for at the level of the back face  50 , opposite the bevelled one  51  of this head  18 A of the spring-bolt  18 . This groove  40  and, thus, said lever  39  extend parallelled to the direction of travelling of the spring bolt. This lever  39  is indeed pivotingly fitted in this groove  40 , about a vertical axis  52 , perpendicularly to the direction of travelling of the spring-bolt  18 . 
     In addition, the outer edge  53  of this lever  39  is provided with a cut-out  54  capable of co-operating, in active position of this retaining organ  37 , with a retaining rim  55  provided on the casing  2 . 
     Finally, the lever  39  is extended, beyond its axis  52 , by a bend  56  on which acts the restoring spring  38 , preferably, in the shape of a blade spring fixed at the rear of the head  18 A of the spring-bolt  18 . The shape of this blade spring  38  has been shown in FIG.  5 . 
     One should in fact note that this bend  56  extending the lever  39  beyond its axis  52  is also accommodated in a groove  57  which extends, in this case, at the rear of the head  18 A of the spring-bolt  18 . The bottom of this groove  57  acts as a stop against which the bend  56  is applied under the action of the blade spring  38 , corresponding to the active position of the retaining organ  37 . 
     In addition, in order to allow the retaining organ  37  to withdraw when the spring-bolt  18  moves back, the outer edge  53  of the lever  39  in front of the retaining rim  55  is of a shape defined without a set-back for allowing this action. 
     Finally, the lever  39  is also designed so as to be capable of co-operating with the sash-frame, in particular with the keeper aimed at receiving the spring-bolt  18 , when closing the leaf, in order to release the spring-bolt  18 . This lever  39  therefore includes, along its portion  58  remaining in any case protruding with respect to the front edge of the casing  2 , a control pawl  59  in the shape of a protrusion at its outer edge  53 . This control pawl  59  is indeed protruding with respect to the back face  50  of the head  18 A of the spring-bolt  18  and, hence, is oriented towards the sash-frame of the door. 
     Thus, the way of operating of such an espagnolette or espagnolette-lock  1  includes is as follows. Starting from the locking position adopted when the door or window is closed, after unlocking the key-operated member  21 , in actuating the control means  9 , results into unlocking the operating rods  4 ,  4 A and resetting the springy means  8 . The toggle joint  25  is brought into its unstable balance position resulting from the alignment of its fulcrum  28  with respect to the hinged joints  29 ,  30 . This toggle joint  25  is then maintained in this unstable balance position through the assisting means  33  defined by the spring  34  capable of maintaining the fulcrum  28  of the toggle joint  25  against the stop  35 . 
     The action then exerted by the user on the control handle, and hence on the tumbler  12 , which substantially defines the manual control means  9 , leads to the moving back of the spring-bolt  18 , so that the leaf can then be opened. 
     When the user releases his action on said control handle, the spring-bolt  18  tends, under the action of the spring  19 , to return into its locking position. Then enters into operation the retaining organ  37  which, being maintained in active position by the restoring spring  38 , co-operates with the retaining rim  55  provided on the casing  2 , in order to retain said spring-bolt  18  in its unlocked or, preferably, partially unlocked position. 
     When closing the leaf against the sash-frame, the action of the keeper on the bevelled face  51  of the spring-lock  18  first of all causes the spring-lock  18  to move back. Then, when this spring-bolt  18  is capable of penetrating into this keeper, the spring-lock  18  automatically actuates the control pawl  59  of the level  39 , so as to cause the retaining organ  37  to be inactive. This allows this spring-bolt  18  to reach its fully locked position, causing the control pawl  36  integral with the stem  17  of this spring-bolt to push back the toggle joint  25  and, thus, to offset it with respect to the unstable balance position. This releases the springy means  8  to ensure the restoring of the operating rods  4 ,  4 A into locking position. FIG. 6 shows the fold-back position of the toggle joint  25 . When the spring-bolt  18  (initially retained in a locked or partially-locked position) has been released under the action of the sash-frame or keeper, the unlocking means  11  (formed by the control pawl  36  connected to the stem  17  of the spring-bolt  18 ) pushes back the intermediate pivot  28  of the toggle joint  25 . Since the joints  29  and  30  are no longer in alignment, the toggle joint  25  no longer opposes the restoring of the operating rods  4 ,  4 A into the locking position under the action of the springy means.