Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6742820
-
Patent Number
6,742,820
-
Date Filed
Friday, June 28, 200222 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, June 1, 200420 years ago
-
Inventors
-
-
Examiners
- Sandy; Robert J.
- Melwani; Dinesh N
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 292 3363
- 292 347
- 292 348
- 292 92
- 292 357
- 292 169
- 292 165
- 292 DIG 63
- 070 209
- 070 224
- 070 465
- 070 462
- 070 92
- 016 430
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International Classifications
-
Abstract
A lock includes an inner assembly, an outer assembly, and a latch mechanism. The inner assembly includes an inside lever handle, an inside spindle, and an inside rose. The outer assembly includes an outside lever handle, an outside spindle, and an outside rose liner from which two engaging posts extend. The latch mechanism includes a housing and a latch bolt. A reinforcing plate includes two pegs respectively extending through two positioning holes of the housing. The reinforcing plate further includes a central hole through which the outside spindle extends. The reinforcing plate further includes a pair of slots through which the engaging posts extend. Two fasteners are extended through the inside rose liner and engaged with the engaging posts. Each of the inside lever handle and the outside lever handle are located in a position that inclines upward and at 45 degrees with a horizontal axis.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an easy-to-operate cylindrical lock. In particular, the present invention relates to a cylindrical lock that is easy-to-operate for people that are handicapped in the hands or without hands.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1 through 3
of the drawings illustrate a conventional cylindrical lock comprising an inner assembly
1
, an outer assembly
2
, and a latch mechanism
3
. The inner assembly
1
includes an inside lever handle
11
, an inside rose
12
, an inside rose liner
13
, and an inside spindle
15
. The outer assembly
2
includes an outside lever handle
21
, an outside rose
22
, an outside rose liner
23
, and an outside spindle
25
. Two engaging posts
24
are mounted to an inner side of the outside rose liner
23
.
The latch mechanism
3
is mounted in a door
8
and includes a housing
30
and a latch bolt
31
. A cam
32
is rotatably mounted in the housing
30
and operably connected to the latch bolt
31
such that rotation of the cam
32
causes retraction of the latch bolt
31
. The cam
32
includes a square spindle-engaging hole
321
for receiving an end of the inside spindle
15
and an end of the outside spindle
25
such that rotation of either lever handle
11
,
21
causes rotation of the cam
32
. The housing
30
includes two engaging holes
33
and
34
through which the engaging posts
24
respectively extend, and two screws
14
are extended through holes
16
in the inside rose liner
13
into screw holes in the engaging posts
24
, thereby securing the rose liners
13
and
23
together and engaging the inner and outer assemblies
1
and
2
with the latch mechanism
3
.
The lever handle
11
,
21
allows easy operation for a person that is handicapped in the hands or without hands.
FIG. 2
is a sectional view of the lock in a latched state, and
FIG. 3
is a sectional view of the lock in an unlatched state. Unlatching of the lock is attained when the lever handle
11
,
21
is moved through 45 degrees. Nevertheless, rotation of the lever handle
11
,
21
is a movement in a lower portion of a circle in which the arm of the user is moved inward. More specifically, it is not easy to apply force in such a posture. Further, a returning force is generated by a return spring in the lock when the lever handle
11
,
21
reaches its end of the unlatching travel. This further increases difficulty to the user that is handicapped in the hands or without hands. Further, the engaging strength between the inner and outer assemblies
1
and
2
and the latch mechanism
3
by the engaging posts
24
is not strong enough and is thus apt to be destroyed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a cylindrical lock having an inside lever handle and an outside lever handle that incline upward and are at 45 degrees with a horizontal axis such that a person without hands may operate either lever handle easily.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cylindrical lock having a reinforcing plate to reinforce the structure while allowing easy operation of either lever handle.
A lock in accordance with the present invention includes an inner assembly, an outer assembly, and a latch mechanism. The inner assembly includes an inside lever handle, an inside rose, an inside rose liner, and an inside spindle. The outer assembly includes an outside lever handle, an outside rose, an outside rose liner, and an outside spindle. Two engaging posts extend from the outside rose liner. The latch mechanism includes a housing and a latch bolt. The latch bolt is operably connected to the inside lever handle and the outside lever handle such that 45° rotation of either one of the inside lever handle and the outside lever handle causes retraction of the latch bolt into the housing.
A reinforcing plate includes two pegs respectively extending through two positioning holes of the housing. The reinforcing plate further includes a central hole through which the outside spindle extends. The reinforcing plate further includes a pair of slots through which the engaging posts extend. Two fasteners are extended through the inside rose liner and engaged with the engaging posts. Each of the inside lever handle and the outside lever handle are located in a position that inclines upward and at 45 degrees with a horizontal axis.
The reinforcing plate may further include another pair of slots. The engaging posts are selectively engaged in one of the two pairs of slots so as to be used with one of a left-handed door and a right-handed door.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is an exploded perspective view of a conventional cylindrical lock.
FIG. 2
is a sectional view of the conventional cylindrical lock in a latched state.
FIG. 3
is a sectional view similar to
FIG. 2
, wherein the lock is in an unlatched state.
FIG. 4
is an exploded perspective view of a cylindrical lock in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 5
is a perspective view, partly exploded, of the cylindrical lock in accordance with the present invention, wherein the outside lever handle and outside rose are removed for clarity.
FIG. 6
is a sectional view of the cylindrical lock in a latched state.
FIG. 7
is a sectional view similar to
FIG. 6
, wherein the lock is in an unlatched state.
FIG. 8
is a top view, partly sectioned, of the cylindrical lock in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 9
is a sectional view of another embodiment of the cylindrical lock in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to
FIGS. 4 through 6
, a cylindrical lock in accordance with the present invention generally comprises an inner assembly
4
, an outer assembly
5
, and a latch mechanism
6
. The inner assembly
4
includes an inside lever handle
41
, an inside rose
42
, an inside rose liner
43
, and an inside spindle
45
. The outer assembly
5
includes an outside lever handle
51
, an outside rose
52
, an outside rose liner
53
, and an inside spindle
55
. Two engaging posts
54
are mounted to an inner side of the outside rose liner
53
.
The latch mechanism
6
is mounted in a door
8
and includes a housing
60
and a latch bolt
61
. A cam
62
is rotatably mounted in the housing
60
and operably connected to the latch bolt
61
such that rotation of the cam
62
causes retraction of the latch bolt
61
. The cam
62
includes a square spindle-engaging hole
621
for receiving an end of the inside spindle
45
and an end of the outside spindle
55
(see
FIG. 8
) such that rotation of either lever handle
41
,
51
causes rotation of the cam
62
. The housing
60
includes two engaging holes
63
and
64
.
The cylindrical lock further comprises a reinforcing plate
7
including a central hole
71
through which the outside spindle
55
extends, two pegs
72
respectively extending through the positioning holes
63
and
64
of the housing
60
, and two pairs of holes or slots
73
that are spaced from the pegs
72
by 45 degrees.
In assembly, the pegs
72
of the reinforcing plate
7
are extended through the positioning holes
63
and
64
, and the engaging posts
54
are extended through one pair of the slots
73
. The engaging posts
54
are sized to be fittingly engaged in the slots
73
. Two fasteners such as screws
44
are extended through holes
46
in the inside rose liner
43
and into screw holes (not labeled) in the engaging posts
54
. After assembly, both of the inside lever handle
41
and the outside lever handle
51
incline upward and are at 45 degrees with the horizontal axis, best shown in FIG.
6
.
The lever handle
41
,
51
allows easy operation for a person that is handicapped in the hands or without hands.
FIG. 6
is a sectional view of the lock in a latched state, and
FIG. 7
is a sectional view of the lock in an unlatched state. The lever handle
41
,
51
in
FIG. 6
is pressed downward through 45 degrees to a position shown in
FIG. 7
in which unlatching of the lock is attained. Rotation of the lever handle
41
,
51
is a movement in an upper portion of a circle in which the arm of the user is moved outward. It is easy for the handicapped to apply force in such a posture. Further, the weight of a leaning user aids in overcoming a returning force generated by a return spring in the lock when the lever handle
41
,
51
reaches its end of the unlatching travel. This further eliminates door-opening difficulty to the user that is handicapped in the hands or without hands. Further, the engaging strength between the inner and outer assemblies
1
and
2
and the latch mechanism
3
is improved by the reinforcing plate
7
that has two pegs
72
extending through the positioning holes
63
and
64
of the housing
60
while the engaging posts
54
are extended through one pair of the slots
73
of the reinforcing plate
7
.
The cylindrical lock in accordance with the present invention can be used with either a left-handed door or a right-handed door.
FIG. 6
illustrates use of the cylindrical lock with a right-handed door.
FIG. 9
illustrates use of the cylindrical lock with a left-handed door in which the engaging posts
54
are extended through the other pair of slots
73
of the reinforcing plate
7
.
The reinforcing plate
7
and the upward inclination of either lever handle
41
,
51
can be used with various cylindrical locks having lever handles. For example, the housing
60
may include split cams
62
for respectively receiving an end of an inside spindle and an end of an outside spindle.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Claims
- 1. A lock comprising:an inner assembly including an inside lever handle, an inside rose, an inside rose liner, and an inside spindle, the inside lever handle having a rectilinear section for manual operation; an outer assembly including an outside lever handle, an outside rose, an outside rose liner, and an outside spindle, the outside lever handle having a rectilinear section for manual operation, two engaging posts extending from said outside rose liner; a latch mechanism including a housing and a latch bolt, said housing including two positioning holes, said latch bolt being operably connected to said inside lever handle and said outside lever handle such that rotation of either one of said inside lever handle and said outside lever handle causes retraction of said latch bolt into said housing from an extended position; a reinforcing plate including two pegs respectively extending through said positioning holes of said housing, said reinforcing plate further including a central hole through which said outside spindle extends, said reinforcing plate further including a pair of slots through which said engaging posts extend, wherein said pair of slots are spaced from the pegs by an acute angle; and two fasteners extended through said inside rose liner and engaged with said engaging posts; when the latch bolt being in the extended position, the rectilinear section of each of said inside lever handle and said outside lever handle being located in a position corresponding to the acute angle with a horizontal axis.
- 2. The lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reinforcing plate includes another pair of slots, said engaging posts being selectively engaged in one of said pairs of slots and said another pair of slots so as to be used with one of a left-handed door and a right-handed door.
- 3. The lock as claimed in claim 2, wherein said pair of slots are spaced from said another pair of slots by 90°.
- 4. The lock as claimed in claim 3, wherein said pair of slots are spaced from the pegs by 45°, with the position of each of said inside lever handle and the outside lever handle inclined upward and at 45° with a horizontal axis.
- 5. The lock as claimed in claim 4, wherein said reinforcing plate includes an outer periphery, with said pair of slots formed in the outer periphery and spaced from the central hole.
- 6. The lock as claimed in claim 5, wherein the pair of slots and the two pegs are at equal radial spacings from the central hole.
- 7. The lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pair of slots are spaced from the pegs by 45°, with the position of each of said inside lever handle and the outside lever handle inclined upward and at 45° with a horizontal axis.
- 8. The lock as claimed in claim 7, wherein said reinforcing plate includes an outer periphery; with said pair of slots formed in the outer periphery and spaced from the central hole.
- 9. The lock as claimed in claim 8, wherein the pair of slots and the two pegs are at equal radial spacings from the central hole.
- 10. The lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reinforcing plate includes an outer periphery, with said pair of slots formed in the outer periphery and spaced from the central hole.
- 11. The lock as claimed in claim 10, wherein the pair of slots and the two pegs are at equal radial spacings from the central hole.
- 12. The lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pair of slots and the two pegs are at equal radial spacings from the central hole.
US Referenced Citations (16)