Field The present invention relates to a mounting plate for a lock system. More particularly, the invention relates to a mounting plate which can be affixed to a closure, such as a door, at a plurality of orientations, each orientation providing for the centroid of the mounting plate being located at a different position on the closure. The present invention also relates to lock system comprising a mounting plate, a housing, and a gear arrangement.

Background of the invention

A lock system, or a retrofittable lock operating device, may be used to replace conventional spindle and key-operated locks. Such lock systems may be placed over pre-existing locks to provide easier operation of those locks, for example for people with weakened grips or for the installation of electronic lock systems - so called "smart locks", Such a lock operating device may be mounted on the inside of a door for locking and unlocking an existing lock, such as a deadbolt lock. In order to mount a lock system, the lock system may comprise a mounting plate that is to be affixed to the door and a housing which is mounted to the mounting plate.

Across the world, there are several different standard distances between a lock actuator and the edge of a closure, such as a door, A lock actuator may comprise a lock cylinder in which a key turns or a lock spindle which is often turned by way of a thumb latch, for example. In some cases, the location of a lock actuator may be too close to the edge of a door for proper mounting of a lock system or it might be further from the edge of the door than is preferred. The present invention provides a mounting plate for a lock system which allows the centroid of the lock system to be mounted at a plurality of different positions relative to the lock actuator.

Summary

According to a first aspect to the invention, there is disclosed a mounting plate for a lock system, the mounting plate configured to be secured to a closure and the mounting plate configured to have affixed thereto a housing, the mounting plate comprising: a first major surface and a second major surface, the second major surface opposite the first major surface; a first elongate aperture extending from the first major surface to the second major surface, the first elongate aperture having a major axis extending along the length of the first elongate aperture, wherein the first elongate aperture is shaped to receive a lock cylinder therethrough; and a second elongate aperture extending from the first major surface to the second major surface, the second elongate aperture having a major axis extending along the length of the second elongate aperture, wherein the second elongate aperture is shaped to receive a lock cylinder therethrough, wherein the major axis of the first elongate aperture and the major axis of the second elongate aperture are arranged at a non-zero angle to one another; and wherein the second elongate aperture intersects the first elongate aperture off- centre from a centroid of the first and second major surfaces, thereby providing a region of intersection to receive a portion of a lock cylinder therethrough.

A mounting plate according to the first aspect may allow for the centroid of the mounting plate, and therefore any corresponding lock system mounted thereto, to be positioned at a plurality of different locations relative to a lock cylinder or spindle. By offsetting the region of intersection created by the overiapping of the first elongate aperture from the second elongate aperture from the centroid of the first and second major surfaces, affixing the mounting plate to a closure by the first elongate aperture will result in the mounting plate being positioned differently relative to a locking cylinder or spindle than mounting the locking plate to the closure by the second elongate aperture. Because the first and second elongate apertures have major axes arranged at non-zero angles, mounting by the first elongate aperture comprises mounting the mounting plate to the closure at a different angle to mounting by the second elongate aperture.

In one or more embodiments, the second elongate aperture may extend away from the region of intersection in a first direction. In one or more embodiments, the second elongate aperture may extend away from the region of intersection in a second direction different from the first direction.

In one or more embodiments, the first elongate aperture may be positioned to extend along a centre line of the first and second major surfaces of the mounting plate.

By having the first elongate aperture extending along the centre line of the mounting plate, a central mounting option is provided wherein the centre line of the mounting plate may be aligned with a centre line of a lock cylinder. In some examples, this may be considered to be a default mounting option for lock actuators such as a lock cylinder or spindle which is located at suitable distance from the edge of the corresponding closure. In one or more embodiments, the major axis of the second elongate aperture may be arranged at an angle between 60 degrees and 120 degrees relative to the major axis of the first elongate aperture. In one or more embodiments, the major axis of the second elongate aperture is arranged at an angle between 80 degrees and 100 degrees relative to the major axis of the first elongate aperture. In one or more embodiments, the major axis of the second elongate aperture is arranged at 90 degrees to the major axis of the first elongate aperture. Arranging the first and second elongate apertures perpendicularly, or at another angle, with relation to each other may provide a particularly intuitive mounting plate that is easy to manufacture and mount for a non-expert installer. A perpendicular arrangement may provide a particularly beneficial design for intuitive mounting, plate design and space-saving. In one or more embodiments, the region of intersection may comprise a substantially circular cross-section for receiving a circular portion of a lock cylinder. In some examples, a lock cylinder may comprise an elongate cross-section wherein a portion, such as an end portion, of that lock cylinder is circular or substantially circular in shape. The substantially circular portion of a lock cylinder may comprise a plurality of tumblers into which a key can be inserted for unlocking the lock of the lock cylinder. By providing the region of intersection with a substantially circular cross-section, the corresponding circular portion of a lock cylinder may be received therein regardless of whether the remaining portion of the lock cylinder is received within the rest of the first, second, or any other elongate aperture. This may provide for particular space saving and the ability to reduce the formfactor of an overall lock system which includes the mounting plate. In one or more embodiments, the mounting plate may further comprise a third elongate aperture extending from the first major surface to the second major surface, the third elongate aperture having a major axis extending along the length of the third elongate aperture, wherein the third elongate aperture may be shaped to receive a lock cylinder therethrough, wherein the third elongate aperture intersects the first and second elongate apertures at the region of intersection of the first and second elongate apertures and wherein a major axis of the third elongate aperture is arranged at a nonzero angle to at least the major axis of the first elongate aperture.

In one or more embodiments, the mounting plate may further comprise at least a first housing connector volume, the housing connector volume configured to provide for mechanical engagement and alignment with a corresponding volume of the housing of the lock system. In one or more embodiments, the first housing connector volume may comprise one of a volume of material extending outward from the first major surface and a volume recessed into the first major surface. In one or more embodiments, the volume of material extending outward from the first major surface may provide a male engagement means and the volume recessed into the first major surface may provide a female engagement means, In one or more embodiments, the mounting plate may comprise a second housing connector volume, In one or more embodiments, the second housing connector volume may be different to the first housing connector volume. In one or more embodiments, the mounting may comprise a plurality of housing connector volumes, A housing of a lock system may comprise complimentary housing connector volumes, such as male and female volumes, configured to engage with the housing connector volumes of the mounting plate.

The one or more housing connector volumes may provide for ease of alignment of a housing with the mounting plate. This may provide for an overall lock system which is easy for a non-technicai user to install.

In one or more embodiments, the mounting plate may further comprise a plurality of fixing apertures extending from the first major surface to the second major surface, each fixing aperture configured to receive and retain therein a fixing rod, and the angle of the fixing apertures through the mounting plate cause fixing rods received therethrough to abut against the lock cylinder, said fixing rods configured to provide for securing of the mounting plate to the lock cylinder. In one or more embodiments, the fixing apertures may be arranged to at least partially overlap with the region of intersection. In one or more embodiments, the fixing apertures may be angled at between 1 and 10 degrees through the mounting plate. In one or more embodiments, the fixing apertures may be angled at 2 degrees. It will be appreciated that angles provided here are measured relative to an axis normal to the first and second major surfaces extending through the first and second major surfaces.

The provision of fixing apertures and particularly those arranged as described may provide the option to mount the mounting plate to a lock cylinder, where one is present on a closure, Instead of screws needing to go through the closure, such as through the wood of a door, by angling the fixing apertures towards the lock cylinder, fixing rods (such as flat-ended screws) may be able to couple the mounting plate to the lock cylinder, thereby obviating the need to put holes in a door. In this way, the provision of the angled fixing apertures may be configured to provide for fixing rods received therein to engage with the lock cylinder by a friction fit, press fit or squeeze fit. Providing the fixing apertures at a shallow angle, such as between 1 and 10 degrees or at 2 degrees may provide for ease of properly inserting the fixing rods with a tool, such as a screwdriver. Larger angles of insertion through the mounting plate may make inserting a fixing rod more difficult for an installer of the mounting plate.

Preferably, the mounting plate according to the invention is configured to be mounted in at least two different orientations which correspond to different positions of the centroid of the mounting plate relative to the lock actuator, such as the lock cylinder or lock spindle, The mounting plate according to the invention may be mounted at least in a first orientation or in a second orientation.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a lock system comprising a mounting plate of the invention, a housing configured to be affixed to the mounting plate, a gear arrangement configured to actuate a lock cylinder or lock spindle of a closure from a locked position to an unlocked position or from an unlocked position to a locked position,

Brief Description of the Drawings

The embodiments of the invention, together with its advantages, may be best understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

One or more embodiments will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows an example of the mounting plate in accordance with the present invention with the second major surface visible;

Figure 2 shows an example of the mounting plate with the second major surface visible and having a lock cylinder received therethrough;

Figure 3 shows an example of different ways an example mounting plate could be arranged on a closure; Figure 4 shows an example of the mounting plate with the first major surface visible;

Figure 5 shows an example of the mounting plate with the first major surface visible having a lock cylinder received therethrough, wherein a key is inserted into the lock cylinder;

Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the mounting plate wherein the fixing apertures can be seen; and

Figure 7 shows an example of a lock system.

Detailed Description

Retrofittable lock systems are becoming more desirable particularly with regard to lock systems for doors, Such lock systems can be provided to give a larger handle by which to actuate a lock for users with low grip strength or manual dexterity difficulties, Retrofittable lock systems can also be implemented for so-called smart-lock devices which allow for either manual actuation of the lock or automatic actuation of a lock based on a signal provided from a remote device.

Many retrofittable lock systems can have large form factors relative to the lock cylinders or latches (received over spindles) that are being replaced. In some cases, it may be desirable to provide lock systems with smaller form factors than those previously available so that these lock systems do not look unwieldy or out-of-place when installed.

A mounting plate may be used in order to mount a complete lock system to a closure, such as a door. The mounting plate provides an interface between the closure and the housing and other components of the lock system such that the mounting plate is affixed to the closure and the remainder of the components are then connected to the mounting plate. An important aspect of retrofittable lock systems is that they must interface with the previously installed lock system. This can be achieved by either interfacing with a previously existing lock spindle or a lock cylinder.

A lock spindle is commonly used in the United States of America on the inside of front doors and, when not replaced by a retrofittable lock system, is often capped by a thumb latch. The lock spindle is an elongate rod which interfaces with the lock of the door and, upon actuating (turning) the spindle, the lock, such as a deadbolt, is moved from a locked position to an unlocked position or from an unlocked position to a locked position. Because the lock spindle is generally a rod with a small cross-sectional area, a spindle is likely to be able to fit through any aperture designed to receive a lock cylinder,

A lock cylinder is another common design for a typical lock. The lock cylinder comprises an elongate cross-sectional area. As is understood in the art, more specifically, the elongate cross-sectional area generally comprises a circular portion configured to receive a key therein and a rounded a stadium portion extending away from the circle in one direction. It will be appreciated that a stadium may be also be referred to as a discorectangle, an obround or a sausage body and substantially comprises a rectangular shape with rounded ends (or an oval with straight edges).

When a retrofittable lock system is installed over a lock cylinder style lock, the key may be left inserted in the lock in order to actuate the lock cylinder. Alternatively, a tailpiece may be affixed to the lock cylinder for actuating the lock cyiinder. While a key may be discussed generally herein, it will be appreciated by a skilled person that any reference to a key may equally refer to a tailpiece, The lock system can then couple to, and actuate rotation of, the lock by mechanically connecting to the key. In order for a mounting plate to sit flush against a closure with a lock cyiinder, the mounting plate must have an elongate aperture shaped to receive the lock cylinder therethrough. The present disclosure will mainly discuss the disclosed mounting plate with reference to a lock cyiinder, however, the mounting plate may be equally suitable for use with a lock cylinder or a lock spindle actuated lock. It will be appreciated that, because the lock spindle is significantly smaller than the lock cylinder, the lock spindle may extend through one or more of the elongate apertures of the present disclosure,

Figure 1 shows an example mounting plate 100 for a lock system according to the present disclosure. The mounting plate 100 is configured to be secured to a closure. In some embodiments, a closure may be a door, such as the front door of a house or business or a door internal to a property. In other examples, the closure may be a safe door, a lid of a chest, a crate or a portion of a window. While doors will primarily be used throughout this description by way of example, if will be appreciated that the closure may generally refer to any closure for which it might be desirable to have a locking capability.

The mounting plate 100 may further be configured to be affixed to a housing of a lock system. It will be appreciated that a mounting plate 100 and a housing may be provided together to provide a lock system, or the mounting plate 100 may be sold as a separate unit. The mounting plate 100 may be configured to be affixed to the housing by way of screw holes (or other fixing apertures) 103 in the mounting plate 100 configured to be engaged by screws which are also passed through the housing. In other examples, a screw thread may be provided on the outer surface of the housing for engagement with a screw thread on a portion of the housing. The skilled person may consider other techniques for providing for coupling of the mounting plate to the housing.

The mounting plate 100 comprises a first major surface 101 and a second major surface 102. In some embodiments, such as the embodiment of figure 1, the mounting plate 100 may be substantially disk-shaped, where the cross-sectional area is substantially greater than the mounting plate's depth. In the present example, the mounting plate 100 is shown as having a circular cross-sectional shape, however, in other examples the mounting plate 100 may have a different cross-sectional shape. The first major surface 101 comprises a first side of the mounting plate 100, that being a first of the substantially fiat surfaces with, in this embodiment, a circular cross- section, The second major surface 102 comprises a second side of the mounting plate 100, opposite the first major surface 100, The first and second major surfaces 101, 102 may each be substantially fiat or may have one or more volumes extending into or out of the mounting plate 100 to provide raised or lowered portions. One or more aperture may be provided in the mounting plate 100 wherein the apertures extend from the first major surface to the second major surface.

The mounting plate 100 comprises at least a first elongate aperture 104 and a second elongate aperture 105 each extending from the first major surface 101 to the second major surface 102, that is, each of the first and second elongate apertures 104, 105 extend through the mounting plate 100 to provide apertures therethrough. Thus, the cross-section of the elongate apertures 104, 105 is a two-dimensional shape which is elongate, i,e., having a length greater than its width. The major axis of each of the elongate apertures 104, 105 may extend along the respective aperture's length and may pass through a centroid of the shape to bisect its aperture 104, 105,

Figure 2 shows an example mounting plate 100 the same as that shown in figure 1 with a lock cylinder 106 received through the second elongate aperture 105. Each of the first and second elongate apertures 104, 105 are shaped to receive a lock cylinder 106 therethrough. As described with relation to lock cylinders 106 above, a lock cylinder 106 may comprise a substantially circular portion 106A and a stadium portion 106B connected to and extending away from the circular portion 106A. In order to be shaped to receive the lock cylinder 106 therethrough, it will be understood that the cross-sectional two-dimensional shape of each elongate aperture 104, 105 comprises a corresponding shape, i.e., a circular aperture and a stadium aperture extending away from the circuiar aperture of appropriate sizes to receive the lock cylinder 106 therethrough.

The major axis of the first elongate aperture 104 and the major axis of the second elongate aperture 105 are arranged at a non-zero angle to one another. In one or more embodiments, the major axes of the first elongate aperture 104 and the second elongate aperture 105 may be arranged at an angle between 60 - 120 degrees relative to each other. In other embodiments, the major axis of the first elongate aperture

104 and the second elongate aperture 105 may be arranged at an angle of 80 - 100 degrees relative to each other, It yet further embodiments, the major axes of the first elongate aperture 104 and the second elongate aperture 105 are arranged at 90 degrees, or at substantially 90 degrees, to each other, Providing apertures arranged at angles to each other according to the disclosed ranges may provide for a particularly intuitive, space-saving and easy to install mounting plate 100,

The second elongate aperture 105 intersects the first elongate aperture 104 off-centre from the centroid of the first and second major surfaces 101, 102, thereby creating a region of intersection 107 (shown in both figures 1 and 2) between the first and second elongate apertures 104, 105. It will be appreciated that the centroid of a shape comprises the positional centre of that shape. In the case of a circular mounting plate 100, for example, the centroid is considered to be the point equidistant from the points around the edge of the circle. Any functional apertures in the mounting plate are not considered when determining the centroid of the mounting plate, regardless of the shape of the mounting plate 100, By providing a region of intersection 107 which is off-centre from the centroid of the mounting plate 100, each of the elongate apertures 104, 105 will be positioned at relatively different distances from the edge of the mounting plate 100 and thereby allow for mounting of the mounting plate 100 at different distances from the edge of a closure,

The region of intersection 107 of the first and second elongate apertures 104, 105 may be the respective circuiar portions of the elongate apertures 104, 105, such that a single circuiar aperture for receiving a circuiar portion of the lock cylinder 106A therethrough is provided in the mounting plate 100 and a first stadium portion corresponding to the first elongate aperture 104 extends away from the circular aperture and a second stadium portion corresponding to the second elongate aperture

105 may extend away from the circuiar aperture. This may, for example, form an "L" shaped aperture having a circular aperture at the point where the two lines of the "L" meet, Thus, the lock cylinder 106 may, in a first mounting arrangement, be configured to be received in the circular portion of the first and second elongate apertures 104, 105 that intersect and the remainder of the lock cylinder 106 may be received only in the first elongate aperture 104, In a second mounting arrangement, as shown in figure 2, the lock cylinder 106 may be received in the region of intersection 107 and the remainder of the lock cyiinder 106 may be received only in the remainder of the second elongate aperture 105,

It will be appreciated that, at any orientation of rotation around a normal axis extending normal to the first and second major surfaces 101, 102 and extending through the centroid of the first and second major surfaces 101, 102 of the mounting plate 100, that a centre line of the first and second major surfaces 101, 102 can be defined. In the example of a mounting plate 100 having a circuiar cross-section, a centre line of the mounting piate may be a diameter. Because it passes through the centroid, a centre line of the first and second major surfaces 101, 102 will bisect the first and second major surfaces 101, 102. In some embodiments, the major axis of the first elongate aperture 104 may be aligned with a centre line of the mounting plate 100 such that the first elongate aperture 104 extends substantially along the centre of the mounting plate 100, Because the region of intersection 107 of the first and second elongate apertures 104, 105 is off-centre from the centroid of the mounting piate 100, this means that the second elongate aperture 105 will not extend along the centre line of the mounting plate 100.

In one or more embodiments, the mounting piate 100 may comprise a third elongate aperture 108 wherein the third elongate aperture 108 is shaped to receive a lock cyiinder 106 therethrough. As in the case of the first and second elongate apertures 104, 105, the third elongate aperture 108 may comprise a substantially circular portion and a stadium portion connected to and extending away from the circular portion. The third elongate aperture 108 may comprise a major axis of symmetry which may be a central line which extends through the centroid of the cross-section of the third elongate aperture 108 to bisect the cross-sectional shape. It will be appreciated that the major axis extends along the longest direction of the cross-sectional shape of the third elongate aperture 108. The major axis of the major axis of the third elongate aperture 108 and the first major axis of the first elongate aperture 104 may be arranged at an angle between 60 - 120 degrees relative to each other. In other embodiments, the major axis of the first elongate aperture 104 and the third elongate aperture 108 may be arranged at an angle of 80 - 100 degrees relative to each other. In yet further embodiments, the major axes of the first elongate aperture 104 and the third elongate aperture 108 are arranged at 90 degrees, or at substantially 90 degrees from one-another. Further, the third elongate aperture 108 may be arranged to only Intersect with the first and second elongate apertures 104, 105 at the common circular portion of the elongate apertures 104, 105, 108. In this way, a single circular, or substantially circular, aperture may be provided which is formed of the circular apertures of each of the first, second and third elongate apertures 104, 105, 108. The stadium portions of the first, second and third elongate apertures 104, 105, 108 may be configured to extend away from each other and to not overlap with each other.

In some embodiments, the first and third major axes of the first and third elongate apertures 104, 108 may be arranged to have a 90-degree angle therebetween and the second and third major axes of the second and third elongate apertures 105, 108 may be arranged to extend in opposing directions from each other. In this way, a substantially T-shaped aperture may be provided where the intersection point of the three lines of the T comprises a circular aperture which forms the region of intersection 107, as shown in figures 1 and 2. This embodiment may be particularly advantageous, because it may provide for at least three different orientations at which the mounting plate 100 may be mounted to a closure where, at each orientation, the distance of the centroid of the mounting plate 100 is located from the edge of the closure is different. This may provide for a particularly space-saving mounting plate design and thereby allow for the reduction in size of the corresponding housing of a lock system.

Figure 3 shows an example embodiment of a closure 301 having three mounting plates 300 as described with reference to figures 1 and 2 wherein each mounting plate 300 is arranged in one of three different orientations, each of which corresponds to mounting on a lock cylinder aligned with the vertical line 302. Each mounting plate has three elongate apertures (304, 305, 308) intersecting at a common region of intersection 307, each having a stadium region extending away from the circular region of intersection 307. The common vertical line 302 is shown to represent the position of a lock cylinder to which each of the mounting plates 300 are affixed. As can be seen in the figure, the distance of the centroid of each mounting plate 300 varies depending on the orientation at which it is mounted.

Figures 4 and 5 show example mounting plates 400 showing the first major surface 401 of the mounting plate 400 wherein figure 5 further shows a locking cylinder 406 received through a second elongate aperture 405 where a key 410 is received in the lock cylinder 406. The mounting plate may comprise at least a first housing connector volume 411, wherein the housing connector volume 411 Is configured to provide for mechanical engagement and alignment with a corresponding volume of the housing of the lock system. The housing connector volume 411 may be, for example, a housing connector volume 411A which extends outward from the first major surface 401 and is configured to engage with a recessed volume of a housing of a lock system. That is, the housing connector volume 411A may comprise a male engagement means for engagement with a female engagement means. Alternatively, the housing connector volume 411B may be a volume which is recessed into the first major surface 401 and may be configured to engage with an outwardly extending volume of the housing of the lock system. That is, the housing connector volume 41 IB may comprise a female engagement means for engagement with a male engagement means. The mounting plate 400 may comprise a first housing connector volume 411A and a second housing connector volume 41 IB wherein the first housing connector volume 411A extends away from the first major surface 401 of the mounting plate and the second housing connector volume 41 IB is recessed into the first major surface 401 of the mounting plate 400. In other embodiments, there may be more than two housing connector volumes 411. The one or more housing connector volumes 411 may, either individually or together, provide for the prevention of rotation of a housing relative to the mounting plate 400 when a housing is engaged with the mounting plate 400 via the housing connection volumes 411. One or more of the housing connector volumes 411 may be non-centrally arranged on the mounting plate 400 and/or may have a non-symmetrical cross-sectional shape such that when engaged with a corresponding connector volume on the housing, relative rotation of the two parts is not possible. Alternatively, a plurality of housing connector volumes 411 on the mounting plate 400 may, by engagement with a corresponding plurality of connector volumes, inhibit or prevent relative rotation of the connected housing relative to the mounting plate 400. These housing connector volumes 411 may allow for easy alignment of a housing with the mounting plate 400 to enable installation of a lock system by a non-technical person.

The mounting plate may comprise a plurality of fixing apertures 412 extending from the first major surface 401 to the second major 402 surface where each fixing aperture 412 is configured to receive and retain therein a fixing rod. The fixing apertures 412 may particularly be configured to provide for mounting of the mounting plate 400 to the closure, In one or more embodiments, the angle of the fixing apertures 412 through the mounting plate 400 may cause the fixing rods received therethrough to abut against the lock cylinder 406, upon installation, such that said fixing rods provide for securing of the mounting plate 400 to the lock cylinder 406. This may allow for mounting of the mounting plate 400 to a closure without needing to put fixing rods, such as screws, through the material of a closure. For example, It may otherwise be possible to screw such a mounting plate Into a closure such as a door, but this may cause undesirable damage to a closure, particularly for a user who Is testing or trialling a lock system. By providing angled fixing apertures 412, the frictional abutment to the lock cylinder 406 may avoid the need to damage the closure. The fixing apertures 412 may be configured, for example, to receive screws having fiat screw-tips such that they do not pierce or otherwise damage a closure of lock cylinder 406 or the closure. Further, the fixing rods 412 may be made of a material suitable to avoid damaging the lock cylinder 406 upon abutment therewith, such as using fixing rods having a hardness lower than that of a typical lock cylinder 406,

Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the mounting plate 600 showing three fixing apertures 612, From the cut-away view, the angled nature of the fixing apertures 612 can be seen and it can be seen that only a substantially small angle is used such that abutment of any fixing rods received therethrough will engage along the edge of the fixing rods with the edge of the lock cylinder. In some embodiments, the fixing apertures 612 may be arranged to at least partially overlap with the region of intersection 607, As shown in figure 6, the fixing apertures 612 may only overlap with the region of intersection 607 toward the second major surface 602 and not the first major surface 601, This may provide for ease of installing the fixing rods, such as screws, while providing for the necessary engagement once the fixing rods are mostly inserted in the fixing apertures, For example, the fixing apertures 612 may be angled at between 1 and 10 degrees through the mounting plate 600 relative to a line extending directly through the mounting plate normal to the first and second major surfaces 601, 602, In some embodiments, the angle may be between 1 and 5 degrees, between 1 and 3 degrees or may be substantially equal to 2 degrees. In particular, using such low angles may allow for insertion of the fixing rods into the fixing apertures 612 substantially straight into the mounting plate (to the view of the installer), thereby making it easier to install the fixing rods than if larger angles are used while still providing the benefit providing a mounting plate 600 that can be mounted to a lock cylinder without damaging the corresponding closure, that is, by providing an interference of press fit against the lock cylinder.

In one or more embodiments, the mounting plate 600 may be at least partially formed of die-cast zinc, for example,

The mounting plate may form a part of a lock system. The lock system may comprise the mounting plate, a housing configured to be affixed to the mounting plate and a gear arrangement configured to couple to and provide for actuation of a lock cylinder (via a key) or a lock spindle, Such a lock system may provide for a retrofittable handle which is easier to grip for those with impaired gripping capabilities. The gear arrangement may be located within the housing wherein the gear arrangement is configured to actuate a lock cylinder or lock spindle of a closure from a locked position to an unlocked position or from an unlocked position to a locked position. This may provide for an automated locking and unlocking system, such as a smart lock device. The lock system may further comprise processing circuitry configured to receive instructions from a remote device, such as a portable telecommunications device or a smart-home system, and process those instructions to cause the gear arrangement to actuate the locking or unlocking of the closure. Where the housing is affixed to the mounting plate such that it cannot rotate relative to the mounting plate, the lock system may further comprise a sheath configured to extend over the housing and engage with the gear arrangement. In this way, rotation of the sheath by a user causes rotation of the key or lock spindle in order to actuate the gear arrangement and, thereby, actuate a deadbolt of the lock system. If the key or lock spindle is activated by receipt of a signal from a remote device, such as by an app, the sheath in this embodiment may be seen to rotate by an observer, as actuation of the gear arrangement may provide for a corresponding rotation of the sheath.

Figure 7 shows a lock system 700 which is configured to be mounted over a lock cylinder of a lock spindle. The lock system comprises a mounting plate 701, which is received over the lock cylinder or lock spindle, It will be appreciated that the mounting plate shown in Figure 7 does not represent a mounting plate according to the present disclosure. A lock system 700 of the present disclosure would instead have a mounting plate according to any of Figures 1 - 6, In the case of Figure 7, the mounting plate 701 is shaped to receive a lock spindle through the substantially central circular aperture. It will be appreciated that for receipt of a lock cylinder, a different mounting plate may be required because of the elongate cross-section of a lock cylinder, A removable coupling portion 702 is provided which mechanically couples to the lock spindle, a key inserted into a lock cylinder or to a tailpiece of a lock cylinder. The removable coupling portion 702 may be mechanically inserted into an actuation gear of a gear arrangement such that rotation of the actuation gear causes rotation of the lock spindle, key or tailpiece and, thereby, actuation of a deadbolt or latch of the closure. The gear arrangement (not shown) would be contained within the housing 704 which may also comprise processing circuitry (not shown) therein. The housing 704 also comprises a plurality of power receptacle volumes 705 into each of which a removable power source 706 can be received and retained in place. The housing may be configured such that the receipt of removable power sources 706 provides for the provision of power to the processing circuitry. A sheath 703 may be received around the housing 704 such that the sheath 703 is independently rotatable relative to the housing 704. The sheath may comprise an internal gear which is configured to engage with the actuation gear such that manual rotation of the sheath by a user results in rotation of the actuation gear and consequential actuation of the deadbolt or latch into a locked or unlocked position. A cap 707 is also provided which doses over the housing 704 in order to protect the removable power sources 706. The cap 707 may also comprise one or more electrical coupling terminals to provide for connection to the removable power sources 706, Together, the features of the lock system 700 may cooperate to provide for a lock system 700 which has a small form factor and easier to install than other lock systems. It will be appreciated that one or more features of the lock system 700 described with reference to figure 7 may not be essential, may be provided together as part of a kit or may be distributed separately.