Patent Application
20090241611
This invention is generally related to latch assemblies, and more particularly to sliding door latch assemblies with actuators.
Sliding doors come in many varieties and have numerous applications. In homes, they can be made of wood, glass, metals, and combinations of other materials. Such doors may allow access to backyards, closets and other rooms. Often, interior doors, such as closet doors, are hung from the top, while heavier doors, such as exterior patio doors, glide along a lower rail. In some cases, the doors may be configured to slide out of the way and into pocket walls.
A key element of a sliding door is the latching assembly. This assembly generally includes a latching mechanism and an actuator. The latching mechanism includes a latch that physically secures the door to an adjacent object such as a door jam. The actuator acts on the latching assembly to lock and unlock the latch from a strike plate in the door jam. Existing actuators are typically unsightly as they protrude from the sliding door. These actuators may also catch clothing and other adjacent objects. Some latching assemblies also incorporate protruding hand pulls. The hand pulls may need more space to operate and may also catch on clothes or strike objects close to the door.
What is needed is a less-obtrusive latching assembly that retains the ability to secure and release the door in a user-friendly manner.
A latching assembly for use in connection with a sliding door includes an actuator and a latching mechanism. The actuator is recessed within at least one side of the sliding door. The actuator is coupled to the latching mechanism. The latching mechanism is positioned within a frame of the door. The latching mechanism includes a latch to engage an adjacent object such as the strike plate in a door jam to secure the door closed.
To lock the door, a user may first slide the door into a closed position such that the door's leading edge abuts an adjacent door jam. The user may then rotate the actuator into a closed position. The actuator acts on the latching mechanism, which acts on the latch. The latch may include a hook to engage a strike plate on the adjacent door jam. By engaging the strike plate, the latch locks the door into the closed position. To open the door, the user rotates the actuator in the opposite direction. The actuator acts on the latching assembly to disengage the hook of the latch from the strike plate of the door jam. The user may then slide the door open. A key cylinder may be installed opposite of the actuator for locking and unlocking the sliding door from the opposite side.
These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from a review of the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the invention.
The invention is generally shown by way of reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Some embodiments are described in detail with reference to the related drawings of
Once closed, the user may lock the sliding door 12 by rotating the actuator 16 in a first direction to raise the latch 18 to engage a strike plate of an adjacent doorjam. The latch and the strike plate interlock to secure the door closed. To unlock the sliding door, the actuator may be rotated in an opposite direction to lower the latch and thereby release the strike plate. After release, the sliding door may be opened. In an alternative embodiment, a latch may be lowered to engage a strike plate and lock the door, rather than raised as shown here. Similarly, to unlock the door, a latch may be raised rather than lowered.
The actuator 16 is housed within a pocket 23. The pocket is fit within a first recess 25 in one side of the sliding door 12 and affixed to the sliding door with two screws 21. The pocket lies substantially flush with the side of the sliding door. In this embodiment, a pocket lip 29 protrudes approximately ⅛″ from the siding door. This near-flush fitment allows the sliding door to slide past adjacent panels or into a pocket wall. In other embodiments, this protrusion may be suitably altered including, but not limited to, a recessed fitting, flush mount or a larger protrusion. The pocket's recessed fitment here shields the actuator from inadvertent contact with clothing and other adjacent objects. In other embodiments, the pocket may be molded into the door frame.
The pocket and actuator are set back from the front edge 27 of the sliding door 12 to provide clearance between the doorjamb and the actuator 16 for easy manipulation. The actuator passes through the pocket 23 to affix to a square shaft flipper 20 through a screw 22. In another embodiment, the shaft flipper may be disposed a distance from the actuator. In such a case, the actuator could be, for example, higher or lower in the frame from the location of the shaft flipper. This would be understood to be a distance from the shaft flipper. A person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the distance from the shaft flipper to the actuator could depend upon factors such as the ease of which a person of a particular height may access the shaft flipper. The square shaft flipper acts on internal components of the latching mechanism described below to raise and lower the latch 18 depending on the position of the actuator.
Still referring to
Referring now to
A cam 32 is fixed onto the end of the key cylinder through two screws 34. A first roller 36 is positioned on the end of the cam and configured to interact with the internal components of the latching mechanism 14. In operation, the key cylinder interacts with the cam and roller to lock and unlock the latching assembly 10—similar to the actuator locking and unlocking the latching assembly.
Referring now to
The latch 18 is located within the housing and a sleeve 48 is positioned within the latch. A pin 50 is inserted through the housing and through the sleeve to allow the latch to pivot up and down. Locating dowels 52 positioned through the housing limit the upward and downward movement of the latch.
The actuating arm 54 controls the movement of the latch 18. The actuating arm is coupled to the housing 38 through pin 56 and coupled to the latch through pin 58. Springs 60 are secured to the actuating arm through pin 62 to provide the arm with a detent position. A cam pin 57 cooperates with the actuating arm. The key cylinder 30 (not shown) is coupled to one side of the actuating arm to rotate the actuating arm through a T-slot 63, the manipulation of the key cylinder ultimately raising and lowering the latch. Through interaction with the T-slot, once the latch is completely raised, the cam 32 and first roller 36 fall with the lower portion of the “T.” Once positioned such that the latch is completely raised, the actuating arm, and therefore the latch, is fixed in a locked position. On the other side of the actuating arm, one end of the activating plate 47 (not shown) affixed to the square shaft flipper 20 interfaces with a second roller (not shown) coupled to the actuating arm to raise or lower the latch. At the same time, the other end of the activating plate rotates the backing plate 40 to rotate the key cylinder into corresponding locked or unlocked positions.
Referring now to
The hand pulls 64 are affixed to both sides of the sliding door 12 in an offset, interlocking relationship whereby screws 68 attach both hand pulls to each other. The offset arrangement, where one hand pull (64a) is oriented upwards and the other hand pull (64b) is oriented downwards, permits both hand pulls to have deep cavities for easy user manipulation. In this example, both hand pulls have cavities 72a, 72b approximately 1″ deep, although in alternative embodiments this depth may be altered as necessary.
In operation, once the sliding door 12 is in the closed position, the actuator 16 may be rotated to lock the sliding door 12 from one side, or a key may be inserted into the key cylinder 30 to lock the door from the other side. To unlock the sliding door, either the key may be inserted and rotated in the opposite direction or, from the other side of the door, the actuator may be rotated in the opposite direction.
In alternative embodiments, a second latch can be added to increase security. The door itself can be constructed from a variety of materials included by not limited to, wood, metal, fiberglass, and composite materials. The door can be solid or incorporate glass, i.e., a sliding glass door. The door can also be configured for a variety of applications including, but not limited to, residential, commercial, marine, and recreational vehicle applications. The actuator, key cylinder, latch assembly, and hand pulls can be made out of a number of materials including, but not limited to, brass, aluminum, steel, stainless steel, and composites and be configured with a number of finishes depending on application.
Now turning to
Referring to
While several embodiments have been described in detail, it should be appreciated that various modifications and/or variations may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In this regard it is important to note that practicing the invention is not limited to the applications described herein above. Many other applications and/or alterations may be utilized provided that such other applications and/or alterations do not depart from the intended purpose of the invention. Also, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used in another embodiment to provide yet another embodiment such that the features are not limited to the embodiments described herein above. Thus, it is intended that the invention cover all such embodiments and variations as long as such embodiments and variations come within the latch assembly of the appended claims and its equivalents.
