1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a latch assembly or combination, and more particularly to a latch assembly or combination for a fire or emergency escape door or the like and including a simplified and adjustable structure or configuration arranged for allowing either or both of the door panels to be easily and adjustably latched or opened or actuated or operated or controlled by the users.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various kinds of typical latch devices for fire or emergency escape doors or the like have been developed and provided for easily and quickly opening the door panels when in a fire or emergency situation or the like, and comprise one or more latch bolts for latching or locking the door panels, and a press bar mechanism provided for actuating or operating the latch bolts to selectively open and release the door panels.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,883,837 to Lin, U.S. Pat. No. 6,945,571 to Lin, U.S. Pat. No. 7,287,784 to Lin, U.S. Pat. No. 7,641,244 to Lin, U.S. Pat. No. 7,918,487 to Lin, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,191,937 to Lin disclose several of the typical latch devices for fire or emergency escape doors or the like and each also comprising one or more latch bolts for latching or locking the door panels, and an actuating handle or press bar mechanism provided for actuating or operating the latch bolts to selectively open and release the door panels, and the pair of door panels or the two door panels of the fire or emergency escape doors will be simultaneously opened and released once the actuating handle or press bar mechanism is depressed or actuated or operated by the users.
However, the latch bolts are normally connected or coupled together with a complicated coupling mechanism including at least linking rods and other connecting members, such that the manufacturing processes or procedures will be complicated and the manufacturing cost will be greatly increased. Furthermore, in some cases or situations, only one of the door panels is required to be opened and the other is not, but both of the door panels will be simultaneously opened and released once the actuating handle or press bar mechanism is depressed or actuated or operated by the users.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional latch devices for fire escape doors.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a latch assembly or combination including a simplified and adjustable structure or configuration arranged for allowing either or both of the door panels to be easily and adjustably latched or opened or actuated or operated or controlled by the users.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a latch combination for locking a door panel to a door frame, comprising a latch device engaged into the door panel, and including a housing and a casing engaged into the door panel, and perpendicular to each other, a first latch bolt slidably engaged in the housing and including a free end extendible into and out of the door panel for locking the door panel to the door frame, an actuating member including a pivot shaft pivotally engaged with the housing, and including a first leg engaged with the first latch bolt for moving the free end of the first latch bolt into and out of the housing by pivoting the actuating member relative to the housing, the actuating member including a second leg extended outwardly therefrom, a first deadbolt slidably engaged in the casing and including a tongue extendible into and out of the casing, the second leg of the actuating member being engaged with the first deadbolt for moving the tongue of the first deadbolt into and out of the housing by pivoting the actuating member relative to the housing, and a spring biasing member engaged with the first latch bolt for moving the free end of the first latch bolt into the door panel, and for pivoting the actuating member to move the tongue of the first deadbolt out of the housing, and the actuating member being pivoted relative to the housing by the first deadbolt when the tongue of the first deadbolt is depressed into the housing, in order to move the free end of the first latch bolt into the door panel, and for allowing the free end of the first latch bolt to be biased moved into the door panel by the spring biasing member when the first deadbolt is released.
The casing includes a stop engaged into the casing for selectively engaging with the first deadbolt and for anchoring and limiting the first deadbolt to slide relative to the casing and the door panel.
The housing includes a plate attached to a first end portion of the housing for mounting the housing to the door panel, the plate includes an opening formed therein for slidably receiving and engaging with the free end of the first latch bolt.
The housing includes at least one channel formed therein, and the first latch bolt includes at least one key extended outwardly therefrom for slidably engaging with the at least one channel of the housing and for guiding the first latch bolt to move relative to the housing.
The first latch bolt includes an extension having a groove formed in the extension, and the actuating member includes an actuating pin provided in the first leg for slidably engaging with the groove of the extension of the first latch bolt and for allowing the free end of the first latch bolt to be selectively moved into and out of the housing by pivoting the actuating member relative to the housing.
The housing includes two orifices formed therein, and the actuating member includes a pivot shaft rotatably engaged with the orifices of the housing.
The casing includes a board attached to a free end portion of the casing for mounting the casing to the door panel, and the board includes a slit formed therein for slidably receiving and engaging with the tongue of the first deadbolt and for allowing the tongue of the first deadbolt to be selectively extended out of the door panel.
The latch device further includes a second deadbolt slidably received and engaged in the housing for replacing the first deadbolt, the second deadbolt includes a tongue flush with the casing and the door panel and extendible into the casing, the second leg of the actuating member is engaged with the second deadbolt for selectively moving the tongue of the second deadbolt into and out of the housing by pivoting the actuating member relative to the housing.
The latch device further includes a second latch bolt slidably received and engaged in the housing for replacing the first latch bolt, the second latch bolt includes a free end extendible into and out of the door panel for selectively latching and locking the door panel to the door frame, and the spring biasing member is engaged with the second latch bolt for biasing and forcing and moving the free end of the second latch bolt out of the door panel.
The second latch bolt includes an inclined surface formed in the free end of the second latch bolt. The housing includes a partition engaged with the spring biasing member which is engaged with the second latch bolt for biasing and forcing and moving the free end of the second latch bolt out of the door panel.
The tongue of the second deadbolt includes a cylindrical shape. The casing includes a board attached to a free end portion of the casing for mounting the casing to the door panel, and the board includes a circular opening formed therein for slidably receiving and engaging with the tongue of the second deadbolt.
The housing includes two apertures formed therein, and the actuating member includes a pivot shaft rotatably engaged with the apertures of the housing.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to the drawings, and initially to
The other door panel 91 may further include a door lock device 94 disposed or attached or mounted or secured or engaged therein for selectively releasing or opening or latching or locking the other or the first door panel 91 to the second door panel 92 and/or to the door frame 90. The above-described structure or configuration for the door panels 91, 92 and the door frame 90 and the door lock device 94 of the fire or emergency escape door assembly or facility 9 is typical and is not related to the present invention and will not be described in further details. The latch assembly or combination in accordance with the present invention is provided and arranged for allowing the second door panel 92 to be selectively latched or locked to the door frame 90 when the first door panel 91 is latched or locked to the door frame 90 and/or to the second door panel 92 (
For example, as shown in
The housing 10 further includes one or more (such as two) ears or flaps 18 extended laterally and outwardly therefrom, such as extended outwardly from the one end or first end portion 19 of the housing 10 for engaging with a plate 20 and for attaching or mounting or securing or coupling to the second door panel 92 (
A casing 30 is also disposed or engaged into the second door panel 92 and includes one or more (such as two) ears or flaps or juts or projections or extensions 31 attached or mounted or secured to the second end portion 25 of the housing 10 with latches or fasteners or adhesive materials or by welders, and includes one or more recesses 32 formed in the extensions 31 for receiving or engaging with the ears 28 of the housing 10 and for further anchoring or retaining or securing or positioning the casing 30 to the housing 10, in which the casing 30 is arranged perpendicular to the housing 10 or laterally extended outwardly from the housing 10, and the casing 30 includes a compartment 33 formed therein and communicating with the chamber 11 of the housing 10 for slidably receiving or engaging with a deadbolt 40 which includes a tongue 41 extendible out of the casing 30.
A plate or board 34 is attached or mounted or secured to an outer or free end portion 35 of the casing 30 for attaching or mounting or coupling or retaining or positioning or securing the casing 30 to the second door panel 92 (
A latch bolt 50 is slidably received or engaged in the chamber 11 of the housing 10 and includes a tongue or free end 51 slidably received or engaged through an opening 29 of the plate 20 (
A spring biasing member 53 is attached or mounted or engaged onto the latch bolt 50 and disposed or contacted or engaged between the latch bolt 50 and the plate 20 and/or the second door panel 92 (
The latch bolt 50 further includes a flap or ear or projection or extension 57 extended outwardly therefrom, such as extended opposite to or away from the free end 51 of the latch bolt 50 and includes a slit or slot or guide channel or groove 58 formed therein. A cam or operating or controlling or actuating member 60 is pivotally or rotatably hinged or attached or mounted or secured or coupled to the housing 10, at the second end portion 25 of the housing 10, for example, the actuating member 60 includes a pivot pin or axle or shaft 61 pivotally or rotatably engaged with the orifices 26 of the housing 10, and includes a first end or first leg 62 having an actuating pin 63 disposed or provided thereon for slidably engaging with the groove 58 of the extension 57 of the latch bolt 50 and arranged for allowing the free end 51 of the latch bolt 50 to be selectively moved into and out of the housing 10 by pivoting or rotating the actuating member 60 relative to the housing 10.
The actuating member 60 further includes another or second end or second leg 64 extended outwardly therefrom for forming or defining an r or y-shaped structure or configuration together with the first end or first leg 62 of the actuating member 60, best shown in
In operation, as shown in
When the free ends 51 of the latch bolts 50 are aligned with the orifices 93 of the door frame 90 and when the two door panels 91, 92 are aligned with the door frame 90, the first door panel 91 may actuate or operate or move or depress the tongues 41 of the deadbolts 40 into the casings 30 or the second door panel 92 (
When the first door panel 91 is opened and released or pivoted or rotated relative to the door frame 90 and moved away from the second door panel 92, the spring biasing member 53 may bias and force and move the free end 51 of the latch bolt 50 into the housing 10 and the second door panel 92 again and may pivot or rotate the actuating member 60 relative to the housing 10 in order to move or extend the tongue 41 of the deadbolt 40 out of the casing 30 and the second door panel 92 (
Referring next to
As shown in
The actuating member 60 of the manual latch device 5 also includes a first end or first leg 62 having an actuating pin 63 disposed or provided thereon for slidably engaging with the groove 58 of the extension 57 of the second latch bolt 501 and arranged for allowing the free end 51 of the second latch bolt 501 to be selectively moved into and out of the housing 10 by pivoting or rotating the actuating member 60 relative to the housing 10. The actuating member 60 of the manual latch device 5 also includes a second end or leg 64 provided for selectively contacting or engaging the second deadbolt 401 and arranged for allowing the actuating member 60 to be pivoted or rotated relative to the housing 10 by or with the second deadbolt 401 in order to selectively actuate or operate or move the free end 51 of the second latch bolt 501 into and out of the housing 10.
The pegs 55 of the partition 54 (
The second door panel 92 may be selectively opened and released or pivoted or rotated relative to the door frame 90 and moved away from the door frame 90 by pressing or depressing the tongue 411 of the second deadbolt 401 into the casing 30 (
It is to be noted that the casings 30 and the housings 10 and the actuating members 60 of the automatic latch devices 1 and the manual latch device 5 are identical to each other, such that the casings 30 and the housings 10 and the actuating members 60 may be replaced and used for both the automatic latch devices 1 and the manual latch device 5, and such that the manufacturing procedures for the latch assembly or combination will be greatly simplified, in addition, the deadbolts 40, 401 and the latch bolt 50, 501 of the automatic latch devices 1 and the manual latch device 5 are similar to each other and may also be easily and quickly manufactured by the workers.
Accordingly, the latch assembly or combination in accordance with the present invention includes a simplified and adjustable structure or configuration arranged for allowing either or both of the door panels to be easily and adjustably latched or opened or actuated or operated or controlled by the users.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.