CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Spanish Patent Application No. P201930546 filed Jun. 14, 2019, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The object of the present invention is a mortise lock which has a reversible clutch system and the configuration of which further provides it with optimal security features against possible manipulation attempts.

The lock object of the invention is applicable in the locksmithing industry, specifically in locksmithing for doors with access control.

Description of Related Art

Currently, mortise locks, of the type used to allow only authorised persons to pass, have a clutch mechanism, such that in a disengaged position the handle of the lock moves without actuating the latch, and therefore without opening the door, meanwhile when it is in an engaged position, because the access code, the key or other system has been introduced actuating the clutch, by rotating the handle, the latch moves and therefore the door opens.

Furthermore, it must be taken into account that the operation of the handle depends on the position thereof with respect to the inside or outside of the room that it locks. In other words, the handle located on the outer side of the door of the room or space it protects, e.g., the one facing the hallway or the street, operates such that said handle is always disengaged, so that it does not actuate the latch when rotated unless it is by means of the introduction of the correct key, access code, card or similar, which will activate the clutch and therefore when rotating the handle, the latch will be actuated.

However, the handle that is on the inner side of the room has the function of always being able to actuate the latch when rotated, in order to enable the exit from the room without having to introduce any key. This situation takes place, for example, in hotels.

Depending on whether the door opens to the right or to the left, the operation of the handles is inverted, such that it is necessary to have a system which enables the internal operation of the lock to be altered.

Furthermore, it is important that the clutch system designed in these locks provides maximum security against manipulation attempts of an unauthorised opening of the lock and is able to address anomalous operational situations.

Several documents are known which disclose locks that are similar to the lock object of the invention. Among the known documents, it is worth noting document US2010/0263418A1 which discloses a mortise lock with a reversible clutch comprising a part which enables the outer handle to behave as an inner handle and vice versa, installing said concentric-shaped part in the parts on the inside of the lock, which are in turn joined to the shafts of the handles, respectively.

Document ES2326482T3 is also known which discloses a lock with controllable handle actuation. The lock of this document tries to provide a solution which offers a wide range of possibilities for installing and using the lock such that it can always be used from one side of the door and the use from the other side is selectively controlled. In this document, the casing of the lock, when installed in the door, should be convertible such that it can be used in the door regardless of the direction in which the door is to be rotated. Additionally, in this lock the changes in the casing can be made by means of the installation device.

Finally, the applicant also knows document ES2498892B2 which discloses a tilt clutch lock having a spring with elastic accumulation which enables the change to be made so that the outer handle behaves like the inner handle and vice versa.

None of the documents known to the applicant has a system that allows the change in operation of the handle to be carried out in a quick and simple manner and that further offers security guarantees against unwanted manipulation of the lock such as those offered by the lock disclosed in this document.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to achieve the objectives and avoid the aforementioned drawbacks, the present invention describes a symmetrical and reversible-clutch mortise lock comprising a central follower, a pair of symmetrical lateral followers, each one located on one side of the central follower, a spacer which makes the movement of the two lateral followers independent and a motor joined to a transmission system that engages with a toothed end of an actuation lever. This actuation lever further comprises a cylindrical projection wherein a torsion accumulator spring with free rotation and two legs is housed, and a prismatic projection.

The lock of the invention further comprises an accumulator arm and a clutch as main elements. The accumulator arm is made up of a body comprising a pair of forks for housing and guiding, two guide points, located on both sides of the accumulator arm one after the other, a guide groove and a push point. The clutch is configured by means of a central web and two projections. The clutch is configured to be housed and guided by the accumulator arm, such that each projection of the clutch rests on a fork of the accumulator arm. In addition, the lateral follower comprises a push element, intended for moving the clutch, and a stop, which limits the motion of the lateral follower by actuating on the clutch.

The guide points and the guide groove of the accumulator arm are coupled on additional guide grooves and an additional guide point, located in a support, fixed to the lock structure, which make the linear movement of the accumulator arm possible.

The push point of the accumulator arm and the prismatic projection of the actuation lever make contact with respective legs of the torsion accumulator spring, causing and in turn limiting the motion of the accumulator arm.

The cylindrical projection of the actuation lever is joined to the additional guide point, the actuation lever being able to rotate around the cylindrical projection.

The push element of the lateral follower is configured to actuate on the central web of the clutch, remove the clutch from the accumulator arm and move the clutch until it makes contact with the central follower and activates the latch of the lock.

The forks of the accumulator arm can have an L-shaped configuration, such that they are joined to the body of the accumulator arm by means of one of the flanges, forming a fork base for supporting the projections of the clutch, while the other flange presents an inclined inlet surface to facilitate the introduction of the clutch.

Furthermore, the projections of the clutch can further have an inclined surface to facilitate the introduction of the clutch in the accumulator arm.

In order to prevent the interference of the lateral follower with one of the forks of the accumulator arm, the lateral follower preferably comprises a recess wherein the fork can be housed.

To activate the latch, the central follower preferably comprises a push element where the clutch makes contact.

The lock enables that, when desired, the door can open from one side without the need to validate any identification, in other words, it can always take place. To do this, the central follower comprises two cylindrical holes located in alignment with elongated holes of the central follower for the placement of at least one handling-selector pin which fix the lateral follower to the central follower and which enable the direct activation of the door latch from the side where the lateral follower which is fixed to the central follower is located. To carry out this fixing, a single pin or both pins can be introduced, for security reasons. In another embodiment, the pins can be incorporated into an annular part such that the introduction and extraction thereof is facilitated.

Furthermore, the lock can comprise a positioning spring, fixed to the support of the lock structure and to a spring guide which makes contact with a projection of the lateral follower. In this way, by releasing the door handle, the lateral follower is returned to the resting position thereof.

