The present disclosure relates generally to devices having cover plates, and more particularly, but not exclusively, relates to lock devices having decorative cover plates.
Locksets for doors often include decorative trim components, which provide a level of visual and aesthetic appeal to a primarily functional product. One of the decorative components that can provide a significant enhancement to the overall appearance is the rose, which may also be referred to as the rosette or escutcheon. Such roses are typically offered in a broad range of configurations, ranging from relatively simple and inexpensive designs, such as those formed of stamped brass, to more solid and stylish designs, such as those formed of die-cast zinc or forged brass. Certain roses of the latter type are non-round in shape, and may have various ornate geometries. Due to their mass and shape, these types of roses may require secure attachment and positive orientation relative to the lock chassis.
In certain conventional locksets, the rose is permanently affixed to the lock chassis at the time of factory assembly, which may in turn result in one or more disadvantages. For example, such locksets typically require that the mounting screws be accessible through openings in the rose, which may be aesthetically unpleasing. Additionally, should the end user desire to update or upgrade the appearance of the lockset, the permanently-affixed rose cannot be removed and replaced with a rose of a different style.
Other conventional locksets attempt to address the above-noted drawbacks by providing a releasable coupling between the rose and the chassis. However, these attempts have limitations of their own. For example, in order for the lock mounting screws to be hidden or covered by a removable trim, the rose may need to be attached to the lock chassis at the time of installation rather than by a factory assembly process. The releasable coupling is typically provided by spring clips that are affixed to either the rose or the chassis during factory assembly, which may increase the cost of the lock by both the cost of the clips and the associated assembly cost.
In certain approaches, the two or more spring clips are attached to the lock chassis. The lock chassis may be configured for use with roses of varying configurations, where some of the configurations do not require engagement with the spring clips, and other configurations are structured to engage the spring clips. When such a lockset is sold with the former type of rose, the unused spring clips may unnecessarily increase the cost of the lockset. For example, if the lockset is shipped with a cheap stamped brass rose that does not utilize the spring steel clips for attachment, the additional cost of the unused spring clips may be undesirable. Additionally, the latter type of rose may require undercut features to snap into engagement with the spring clips. Such undercut features may be undesirable, particularly when the rose is die-cast or forged. For example, such undercut features may require a more complex casting mold and/or a secondary operation, each of which may involve additional costs.
In other approaches, the spring clips are attached to the rose. In such approaches, the at least two clip components are factory assembled to the rose and fastened by some means, such as a screw or rivet. The resulting position and orientation of the two clips relative to each other may be less than desirable, and is sensitive to manufacturing tolerances. In addition, the size of the rose may have to be increased in order to accommodate the fasteners that secure the clips to the rose. In some cases, the clip design may need to be customized based on the shape, size, and/or geometry of the rose. There is also the potential that one of the spring steel clips may become overstressed during installation. Additionally, because the clips are provided as separate components, installation of the rose can be biased more toward one clip than the other, potentially resulting in permanent deformation of one clip. When this happens, the retention effectiveness of the clips is reduced, and the rose may not be secured tightly to the lock chassis.
As should be evident from the foregoing, certain drawbacks and limitations are associated with certain current techniques for attaching a rose to a chassis assembly, whether permanently or releasably. For these reasons among others, there remains a need for further improvements in this technological field.
The present application is directed to a rose assembly and method for attaching a cover plate, such as a rose assembly, to a mounting assembly, such as a lock chassis. The rose assembly and method of attachment may provide a secure attachment of the rose, and accurate orientation relative to the lock chassis. The rose assembly may provide for simple installation and removal, while ensuring that the fit to the lock chassis is not compromised by the installation process or is overly sensitive to manufacturing tolerances.
In one aspect of the present application, there is provided a door lock including a lock chassis having a housing with a locating feature and a retaining feature. The door lock further includes a rose assembly configured to be releasably coupled to the housing. The rose assembly includes a rose and a plate permanently secured to the rose, wherein the plate includes a tab configured to engage the locating feature and a resilient member configured to engage the retaining feature.
In another aspect of the present application, there is provided a rose assembly for a door lock having a housing configured to receive the rose. The rose assembly includes a rose; and a plate securely affixed to the rose. The plate includes a tab configured to engage the housing at a first location and a resilient member configured to engage the housing at a second location, wherein relative lateral movement of the plate with the housing aligns the rose assembly with the housing and closing movement of the plate with the housing deflects the resilient member to a position with respect to the housing to resiliently secure the rose to the housing.
In a further aspect of the present application, there is provided a method of assembling a rose assembly for a door lock having a housing with a locating feature. The method includes providing a rose including an alignment feature and a centering portion, providing a plate including a tab and a resilient member, each configured to engage the housing, and a seating surface configured to engage the alignment feature and the centering portion, aligning the seating surface with the alignment feature and with the centering portion, moving the plate into contact with centering portion, and securely attaching the plate to the seating surface to provide a unitary rose assembly.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings where specific language is used to describe the same. It should be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications in the described embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the invention as described herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.
The lock assembly 10 includes a latch 18, an outside assembly 20, an inside assembly 30, and a locking mechanism 40 including an outside locking module 42, an inside locking module 44, and a locking mechanism actuator 46. Additionally, the outside assembly 20 includes the outside locking module 42, and the inside assembly 30 includes the inside locking module 44 and the actuator 46. In one embodiment, the actuator 46 provides a push button user interface for adjusting the locking mechanism 40, and thus the assembly 10, between locked and unlocked states. The actuator 46 is typically accessible from the interior side of a door to enable a user to lock the door from inside a room in order to prevent others from entering the room. In the illustrated form, the locking modules 42 and 44 are designed as self-contained modular subassemblies. In other embodiments, one or both of the locking modules 42, 44 may be integral to the corresponding one of the outside and inside assemblies 20 and 30.
Each of the outside assembly 20 and the inside assembly 30 includes a chassis subassembly 50 and decorative trim components 60. Each chassis subassembly 50 includes a housing 52 and a spindle 54 that is rotatably mounted to the housing 52. The trim components 60, which may alternatively be referred to as embellishment attachments, include a rose 62 and a handle 64, which are respectively mounted to the housing 52 and spindle 54 of the corresponding chassis subassembly 50. In the illustrated form, each rose 62 is circular, and each handle 64 is provided as a lever-type handle. As described in further detail below, it is also contemplated that one or both of the roses 62 may be non-circular, and that one or both of the handles 64 may be provided as another type of handle, such as a knob-type handle.
A centering ring 108 is located adjacent to and extends away from the seating surface 106 to provide a locating feature for the plate 74. The centering ring 108 is generally circular and surrounds the hole 76. In one embodiment, the centering ring 108 is continuous about the hole 76. In other embodiments, the centering ring 108 is not continuous, but is discontinuous and includes spaced segments or other spaced features such as posts. An alignment boss 110 is located at the seating surface 106 and extends therefrom to provide a locating feature for the plate 74. The alignment boss 110 provides for proper alignment of the plate 74 with respect to the rose 72. One or more staking bosses 112 may also be located at the seating surface 106. In the illustrated embodiment, a total of three staking bosses 112 are utilized, and the rose 72 includes one or more ribs 114, each of which extends along an interior surface of the rose 72 toward the hole 76. In the illustrated embodiment, the ribs 114 are coupled to the collar 104 to interface with and coaxially locate with the housing 80. The ribs may also provide support for the collar 104.
The plate 74 also includes a locating leg 134. In one embodiment the locating leg 134 includes a hooked end 135. The locating leg 134 is inclined with and extends from the surface 120. The plate 74 further includes one or more resilient legs 136, each of which extends from the surface 120 and is configured to act as a clip. In the illustrated embodiment, the plate 74 includes two of the resilient legs 136. In certain embodiments, additional resilient legs may be included in order to increase retention capacity to thereby hold the plate 74, and therefore the rose assembly 70, more securely to the chassis 50.
As described herein, the plate 74 is substantially flat and thin. Since the plate is secured to the rose 72 by the rivet-like rose bosses 112, the depth of the rose 72 may be relatively small. Additionally, the alignment, locating, and securing features of the spring plate 74 are included in a single component, which may enable better manufacturing control of these related features. The hook shaped locating leg 134 provides for accurate alignment between the rose 72 and the housing 54, and may also provide positive retention of the rose 72 that is independent of the retention capability of the spring clip legs 136. The locating leg 134 may additionally reduce the amount of retention force needed from the spring clip legs 136.
In the event that removal of the rose assembly 70 from the housing 52 is desired, the process of removal generally follows the installation process in reverse. The bottom portion 176 is pulled away from the housing 52 in a direction opposite the direction 174. Once the clip legs 136 are disengaged from the housing 52, the rose assembly 70 is moved in an upward direction opposite the direction 172. Due to the fact that the spring clip legs 136 are not diametrically opposite one another, the risk of overstressing one or both of the legs 136 is significantly diminished. Instead, as the rose assembly 70 is attached to the chassis 50, both of the spring clip legs 136 should deflect and be stressed relatively uniformly. In
The base portion 186 and the collar 188 define an interior cavity 194 which is configured to receive the plate 184. In this embodiment, the interior surface of the base portion 186 which receives the plate 184 does not include any engagement features other than the holes 190 and 192. In this respect, this embodiment of the rose 182 provides a more straightforward design and manufacture when compared to the rose 72. The plate 184 includes a first hole 196 and a second hole 198 which are located to align with the holes 190 and 192. The plate 184 includes a locating leg 200 and one or more resilient legs 202. In this embodiment, therefore, the same attachment features as described above are maintained in the plate 184, while the remainder of the plate 184 is designed to conform to the interior cavity 194 of the rose 182.
In this embodiment, the rose 184 includes a plurality of upstanding sidewalls 204. When the plate 184 is located in the cavity 194, the upstanding sidewalls 204 are located adjacently to the collar 188. The collar 188 includes a plurality of tabs 206, which are bent toward the hole 190 to capture a top edge of the sidewalls 204. Once the tabs are bent over, the plate 184 is attached to the rose 182 to form the rose assembly 180.
In one embodiment, the rose 182 is stamped metal. In another embodiment, the rose 182 is formed of a plastic material and the plate 184 is fixed to the rose 182 with an adhesive or other securing means. In another embodiment, the tabs 206 are replaced with clips. The described plate 184 of this embodiment may be utilized with housings of various configurations, as the overall geometry of the plate 184 can be adapted to closely follow the shape of the housing. This ensures that it is compatible with many different external rose shapes and geometries.
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the inventions are desired to be protected.
It should be understood that while the use of words such as preferable, preferably, preferred or more preferred utilized in the description above indicate that the feature so described may be more desirable, it nonetheless may not be necessary and embodiments lacking the same may be contemplated as within the scope of the invention, the scope being defined by the claims that follow. In reading the claims, it is intended that when words such as “a,” “an,” “at least one,” or “at least one portion” are used there is no intention to limit the claim to only one item unless specifically stated to the contrary in the claim. When the language “at least a portion” and/or “a portion” is used the item can include a portion and/or the entire item unless specifically stated to the contrary.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/312,008 filed Mar. 23, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62312008 | Mar 2016 | US |