Patent Grant
11136789
The present invention relates to door hardware, and more specifically to door hardware having ligature resistant characteristics, in that it is difficult for ropes, cords, wires, articles of clothing or other pieces of material (hereinafter referred to as “ligatures”) to be anchored to the door hardware, whether intentionally or unintentionally, to cause harm to persons having access thereto.
In many environments, such as, for example, although not limited thereto, medical facilities, prisons, schools, offices, government buildings, residences, and other institutions, there exists a population of people at risk of committing suicide. In many psychiatric hospitals, for example, patients have been known to attempt suicide, specifically hanging, while in the care of the institution.
These suicide attempts are known to have involved the use of doorknobs, hinges and other door hardware, particularly since an effort is often made to remove other ligature anchor points from the facilities. Institutions have many private rooms where such a suicide attempt may take place, such as bathrooms. Every private room cannot be watched at the same time without enormous staff resources. Therefore, private rooms, and specifically door hardware in these rooms, provide an area of opportunity for a suicide attempt.
The problem of suicide attempts has been addressed in some institutions by simply removing all door hardware, and even the doors themselves. While this may reduce the opportunity for suicide attempts, it likewise eliminates all privacy and security. Many current designs for anti-suicide door hardware have focused thus far on streamlining the designs of the door knobs, latches, thumb turns, hinges, etc., to make them more difficult to use as anchor points for ligatures. However, little attention has been given thus far to removing door hardware, such as door knobs, entirely, but still allowing for privacy and security to be achieved.
What would be desirable instead would be door hardware that allows for a door to operate in much the same way that traditional doors operate (particularly, allowing for privacy and security), while at the same time obviating the need altogether for at least some of the traditional ligature anchor points, such as door knobs, levers, etc.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a door hardware assembly that allows for a door to operate in much the same way that traditional doors operate (particularly, allowing for privacy and security), while at the same time obviating the need altogether for at least some of the traditional ligature anchor points, such as door knobs, levers, etc.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a door hardware assembly of this type which further includes safety features enhancing the safety of those living and working in the facility where the door hardware is installed.
These and other objectives are achieved, in accordance with a first aspect of the invention, by providing a door hardware assembly for a door having a privacy side and an accessible side, the door hardware assembly including a closing element moveable between a retracted position wherein the door is freely openable and an extended position wherein the door is maintained in a closed position when closed, and an actuator operably connected to the closing element, the actuator moving the closing element from the extended position to the retracted position upon receipt of an open command. At least one actuation sensor is provided on the privacy side of the door, the at least one actuation sensor causing the open command to be communicated to the actuator in response to an object being sensed within a threshold distance of the at least one actuation sensor. Additionally, at least one auxiliary sensor is provided on the privacy side of the door and providing at least one enhanced safety feature, the at least one auxiliary sensor being separate and distinct from the at least one actuation sensor.
In some embodiments, the closing element comprises a latch, a deadbolt or both a latch and a deadbolt. In some embodiments, the actuator comprises at least one electric motor. In some embodiments, the at least one actuation sensor comprises a touch activated sensor such that the threshold distance essentially equals zero. In certain of these embodiments, the at least one actuation sensor comprises a proximity sensor. In certain embodiments, the threshold distance falls within a range of from 6 inches to 36 inches.
In some embodiments, the at least one auxiliary sensor comprises a plurality of auxiliary proximity sensors. In certain of these embodiments, the plurality of auxiliary proximity sensors are arranged in at least one row. In certain embodiments, the at least one row comprises two rows, a first row being disposed within 12 inches from a bottom of the door, and a second row being disposed at a height within a range of from one-third to two-thirds of a total height of the door.
In some embodiments, the at least one auxiliary sensor, upon detection of a person within a threshold distance thereof for at least a threshold amount of time, causes the open command to be communicated to the actuator, whereby the at least one auxiliary sensor provides protection against suicide attempts. In some embodiments, the at least one auxiliary sensor, upon detection of a person within a threshold distance thereof when the door is already open, causes a warning device to be activated, whereby the at least one auxiliary sensor provides protection against ambush for those entering the door. In certain of these embodiments, the warning device comprises a light disposed on the accessible side of the door.
In some embodiments, the at least one auxiliary sensor, upon detection of an object within a threshold distance thereof for at least a threshold amount of time, causes a warning device to be activated, whereby the at least one auxiliary sensor provides notification of a barricade situation. In certain of these embodiments, the warning device comprises at least one of a light disposed on the accessible side of the door, a mobile device and a computer display disposed outside the door.
In some embodiments, an exterior actuation sensor is disposed on the accessible side of the door, the exterior actuation sensor causing the open command to be communicated to the actuator in response to an object being sensed within a threshold distance of the exterior actuation sensor. In certain of these embodiments, a locking mechanism is disposed on the privacy side of the door, the locking mechanism, when activated, disabling the exterior actuation sensor. In certain embodiments, a lock override mechanism is disposed on the accessible side of the door, the lock override mechanism, when activated, overriding the locking mechanism, whereby the exterior actuation sensor is enabled despite activation of the locking mechanism.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a door having a privacy side and an accessible side includes door hardware comprising a closing element moveable between a retracted position wherein the door is freely openable and an extended position wherein the door is maintained in a closed position when closed, and an actuator operably connected to the closing element, the actuator moving the closing element from the extended position to the retracted position upon receipt of an open command. A touch sensor provided on the privacy side of the door causes the open command to be communicated to the actuator in response to an object coming in contact with the touch sensor. A plurality of proximity sensors are provided on the privacy side of the door and providing at least one enhanced safety feature, the plurality of proximity sensors being separate and distinct from the touch sensor. The plurality of proximity sensors, upon detection of a person within a threshold distance thereof for at least a threshold amount of time, causes the open command to be communicated to the actuator, whereby the plurality of proximity sensors provides protection against suicide attempts.
In some embodiments, the closing element comprises a latch, a deadbolt or both a latch and a deadbolt. In some embodiments, the actuator comprises at least one electric motor. In some embodiments, the plurality of proximity sensors are arranged in at least one row. In certain of these embodiments, the at least one row comprises two rows, a first row being disposed within 12 inches from a bottom of the door, and a second row being disposed at a height within a range of from one-third to two-thirds of a total height of the door.
In some embodiments, the plurality of proximity sensors, upon detection of a person within a threshold distance thereof when the door is already open, causes a warning device to be activated, whereby the plurality of proximity sensors provides protection against ambush for those entering the door. In certain of these embodiments, the warning device comprises a light disposed on the accessible side of the door.
In some embodiments, the plurality of proximity sensors, upon detection of an object within a threshold distance thereof for at least a threshold amount of time, causes a warning device to be activated, whereby the plurality of proximity sensors provides notification of a barricade situation. In certain of these embodiments, the warning device comprises at least one of a light disposed on the accessible side of the door, a mobile device and a computer display disposed outside the door.
In some embodiments, an exterior touch sensor is disposed on the accessible side of the door, the exterior touch sensor causing the open command to be communicated to the actuator in response to an object coming in contact with the exterior touch sensor. In certain of these embodiments, a locking mechanism is disposed on the privacy side of the door, the locking mechanism, when activated, disabling the exterior touch sensor. In certain embodiments, a lock override mechanism is disposed on the accessible side of the door, the lock override mechanism, when activated, overriding the locking mechanism, whereby the exterior touch sensor is enabled despite activation of the locking mechanism.
Other objects of the invention and its particular features and advantages will become more apparent from consideration of the following drawings and accompanying detailed description.
Generally, the present invention provides door hardware that employs touch switching technology (e.g., where the resistance of a person's body touching a switch plate or the like opens and/or closes a switch) and/or proximity switching technology (e.g., where the presence of a person's body part within a threshold distance of a sensor opens and/or closes a switch) in combination with auto latch retraction (e.g., where one or more motors and/or solenoids causes retraction and/or extension of a door latch and/or deadbolt) in order to provide a door that can be locked and unlocked as can a standard door, but without the need for a door knob, lever or like mechanism that protrudes from the face of the door. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, it is impossible, or nearly so, to use a flat metal plate and/or a recessed proximity sensor that is substantially flush with a face of a door as an anchor point for a ligature.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. It should be understood that, although the exemplary embodiments discussed herein are configured as mortise lock assemblies, such is not strictly necessary, and that the present invention may instead be configured as a different type of lock assembly, such as a bored cylinder lock assembly.
The faceplate (14) has openings for the deadbolt (16) and a latch (18). The deadbolt (16) is shown in its extended position in
The lock body (12) also includes a circular opening or cylinder port (26) for accommodating a lock cylinder (not shown in
The lock body (12) also includes a follower hole (28), which is adapted to accommodate a spindle (not shown). The spindle connects a follower (not shown) to a door handle (not shown). When the door handle is turned, the spindle rotates the follower, which imparts lateral movement to the latch (18). The latch (18) can be moved between an extended position (as shown in
Turning now to
In the exemplary embodiment shown in
As mortise lock assemblies having one or more electric motors disposed within the lock bodies thereof (in similar fashion to
In the particular embodiment shown in
With respect to mortise lock assemblies having one or more electric motors disposed outside of the lock bodies thereof (in similar fashion to
Referring now to
The actuation sensor(s) (340) may take the form of one or more touch activation sensors, meaning that physical contact with the actuation sensor(s) (340) is required before the presence of the object is detected (i.e., the threshold distance between the object and the sensor is effectively zero). Such touch activated sensors, which have become relatively common recently in the context of sink faucets, generally rely on a sensed change in resistance when a person touches a conductive plate or the like in order to open/close a switch. Such a plate may be generally flush with the surface of the door, or at most, protrude from the face of the door by a very small amount (e.g., 1/16″). As such, the touch activated sensor plate(s) provide substantially no means for a ligature to be attached to the door, but allow for controlled actuation (i.e., extension and/or retraction) of the latch and/or deadbolt.
Instead of a touch activated sensor, the actuation sensor(s) (340) may take the form of one or more proximity sensor(s) that do not require physical contact therewith in order to sense the presence of an object. Any of various proximity sensors that are well known, for example on the bumpers of motor vehicles to sense the distance of relatively near objects, may be employed. As but one example, it has been found that laser-ranging time-of-flight (ToF) type sensors provide excellent results. As of the filing date hereof, one such sensor is the Model No. VL53L1X Time-of-Flight sensor distributed by STMicroelectronics, NV of Geneva, Switzerland. As with the touch activated sensors described above, such laser-ranging ToF type sensors may be generally flush with the surface of the door, or at most, protrude from the face of the door by a very small amount (e.g., 1/16″). As such, the laser-ranging ToF type sensors provide substantially no means for a ligature to be attached to the door, but allow for controlled actuation (i.e., extension and/or retraction) of the latch and/or deadbolt.
If desired, a locking mechanism (344) may also be provided on the inside (i.e., privacy side) of the door (342) to “lock” the door, for example, by disabling power to the motor(s) and/or causing the sensor(s) (340) to ignore commands. Such locking mechanism (344) may take the form of, for example, another touch activated sensor, an anti-ligature thumb turn (such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,584,494, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety), or some other ligature resistant mechanism. Thus, the inventive door hardware allows for privacy and security similar to that afforded by traditional door hardware.
If desired, the pull side of the door (342) (e.g., the side on which are mounted the hinges) may also be provided with a ligature resistant handle (346), such as a crescent shaped handle similar to that illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 8,584,494, or of a handle having some other ligature resistant shape to facilitate opening of the door in the pull direction.
Turning now specifically to
If desired, a lock override mechanism (350) may also be provided on the accessible side (i.e., the outside) of the door (342) to override the “lock” function activated by the locking mechanism (344) on the privacy side, if provided. The lock override mechanism (350) may take several forms, such as for example, a keyed cylinder, a key pad, a key fob reader or the like, to allow for the privacy “lock” function to be overridden, but only by authorized personnel.
If desired, the push side of the door (342) (e.g., the side opposite to which are mounted the hinges) may also be provided with a ligature resistant handle (346), such as a crescent shaped handle similar to that illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 8,584,494, or of a handle having some other ligature resistant shape to facilitate closing of the door.
With reference again to
As is known, room occupants may still attempt suicide using the doors to their rooms even if ligature points are removed from the door hardware itself, for example, by tying a knot in a bedsheet, rope or the like, and then closing the door with the knot on the outside of the door. Once the door is latched and/or deadbolted in a closed position, the knot thus acts as an anchor. The occupant may then wrap the bedsheet or rope around his/her neck and either attempt to hang himself/herself (if the knot is positioned along the top edge of the door) or choke himself/herself by doing a so-called “alligator roll” (if the knot is positioned along the bottom edge of the door).
The auxiliary proximity sensors (352) may be used to sense the presence of a person attempting to hang and/or choke himself/herself. In this regard, the auxiliary proximity sensors (352) may be strategically located to maximize the likelihood that a suicidal person is detected. For example, as shown in
When/if a suspected attempted suicide is detected by the auxiliary proximity sensors (352), the motor(s) (130, 132, 234) are automatically actuated, even if the at least one actuation sensor (340) has not been activated, Once the door is no longer latched and/or deadbolted in the closed position, the forces on the knot of the bedsheet, rope, etc. will cause the door to open and the knot to be released, such that it no longer acts as an anchor.
If desired, a time delay may be introduced before the auxiliary proximity sensors (352) automatically trigger opening of the door in order to reduce the likelihood of erroneous suicide attempt detections and consequent unintentional door openings. Of course, however, the time delay should not be so long that an attempted suicide is likely to be successful.
Instead or in addition, the auxiliary proximity sensors (352) may be used to sense the presence of a person hiding behind an open door. In certain environments, it has been known for room occupants to hide behind an open door in order to surprise, and possibly ambush/attack, another person entering the room. The auxiliary proximity sensors (352) may be used to detect the possible presence of a person hiding behind an open door, and provide a warning to those entering the room. For example, a light (354) or the like may be provided on the outside of the room (see
As another option, the auxiliary proximity sensors (352) may be used to sense the presence of objects positioned behind a closed door that are being used to barricade the door. Again, a time delay may be involved so as to reduce the likelihood of false alarms, but once it is determined that a likely barricade situation has occurred, a warning may be provided. For example, as before, a light (354) or the like may be provided on the outside of the room (see
As with the actuation sensors (340, 348) discussed above, the auxiliary proximity sensors (352) may take the form of laser-ranging time-of-flight (ToF) type sensors, or some other type of sensor detecting the presence of an object within a threshold distance. Also as discussed above, as of the filing date hereof, one example of an appropriate sensor is the Model No. VL53L1X Time-of-Flight sensor distributed by STMicroelectronics, NV of Geneva, Switzerland. Such laser-ranging ToF type sensors may be generally flush with the surface of the door, or at most, protrude from the face of the door by a very small amount (e.g., 1/16″). As such, the laser-ranging ToF type sensors provide substantially no means for a ligature to be attached to the door, but allow for controlled actuation (i.e., extension and/or retraction) of the latch and/or deadbolt. Additionally, such sensors advantageously provide adjustability for object proximity threshold before being triggered, which may range, for example, between 6 inches and 36 inches. This flexibility allows for optimization of object sensing, while at the same time minimizing the occurrence of “false alarms.”
With respect to power for the motors, sensors, etc., various mechanisms are contemplated. If one or more AC motors is employed, a wired connection to mains power through the door and the door frame may be provided. However, when one or more DC motors is employed (as is generally preferred), various options exist. For example, a wired connection to mains power could be used with an AC/DC transformer, though such may not be optimal. Alternately, replaceable batteries could be employed, using single use or rechargeable batteries that must be replaced by a user.
However, a preferred option may be to employ a rechargeable battery disposed in the door that is electrically connected to a power jump positioned between the door and the door frame. This would allow for the battery to be slowly charged at very low power (typically lower than would be required to extend/retract the latch and/or the deadbolt) while the door is closed, without requiring a wired connection between the door frame and the door. Then, when commanded, the battery could provide a surge of power at a level needed in order to extend/retract the latch and/or the deadbolt. Such an arrangement provides for reliable operation and ease of use.
Also, for the sake of safety, it may be desired to provide a back-up capacitor or the like, so that in the case of failure of the primary power supply, the back-up capacitor could be employed to retract the deadbolt and the latch, such that the door hardware fails open, thereby reducing the risk of accidental trapping of persons within a room, building, etc.
The present invention thus provides door hardware that allows for a door to operate in much the same way that traditional doors operate (particularly, allowing for privacy and security), while at the same time obviating the need altogether for at least some of the traditional ligature anchor points, such as door knobs, levers, etc. and allowing for enhanced safety features.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4799719 | Wood | Jan 1989 | A |
| 6012310 | Hsiao | Jan 2000 | A |
| 6094952 | Clark et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6354121 | Frolov | Mar 2002 | B1 |
| 6374650 | Newman | Apr 2002 | B1 |
| 6471257 | Lu et al. | Oct 2002 | B1 |
| 7051561 | Moon et al. | May 2006 | B2 |
| 8584494 | Salvatore et al. | Nov 2013 | B2 |
| 8887542 | Bogdanov et al. | Nov 2014 | B2 |
| 8931315 | Frolov et al. | Jan 2015 | B2 |
| 9580931 | Myers et al. | Feb 2017 | B2 |
| 9670696 | Chong | Jun 2017 | B2 |
| 9702166 | Zhang | Jul 2017 | B2 |
| 20040112100 | Martin | Jun 2004 | A1 |
| 20040147817 | Dewing | Jul 2004 | A1 |
| 20090322473 | Aliferis et al. | Dec 2009 | A1 |
| 20100194563 | Berner | Aug 2010 | A1 |
| 20110068927 | Berger | Mar 2011 | A1 |
| 20130186000 | Gilchrist | Jul 2013 | A1 |
| 20150159402 | Yahav | Jun 2015 | A1 |
| 20160343189 | Dumas | Nov 2016 | A1 |
| 20180016836 | Ibsies | Jan 2018 | A1 |
| 20180313116 | Criddle et al. | Nov 2018 | A1 |
| 20180323632 | Astarabadi | Nov 2018 | A1 |
| 20190266862 | Harrison | Aug 2019 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| WO3097969 | Nov 2003 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20200208436 A1 | Jul 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62786045 | Dec 2018 | US |
