Patent Application
20240309676
Locks (e.g., electronic and/or mechanical locks) may be utilized for securing access in both residential and commercial settings. At least some known locks include interior and exterior housing assemblies mounted at a bore of a door for controlling a latch assembly. Retaining the housing assembles at the bore is known to be difficult as the housing assembles need to be secured and flush with the door surface while also being operatively coupled together via electrical and/or mechanical connections. Improvements to door mounting components are thereby desired.
The present disclosure relates generally to lock assemblies and elastomeric retention components for facilitating retention of a housing assembly during installation on a door. The elastomeric retainers are configured to compress and engage within a bore of the door to retain a position and/or orientation of the housing assembly without the need for manual support by the installer.
In an aspect, the technology relates to a lock assembly for a door including: a latch assembly having a bolt movable between at least an extended position and a retracted position; a torque blade coupled to the latch assembly and selectively rotatable for moving the bolt between the extended position and the retracted position; and a housing assembly configured to couple to the torque blade for driving rotation thereof, the housing assembly including: a housing having one or more bore projections, the one or more bore projections configured to be received at least partially within a bore within the door such that at least a portion of the housing is positionable against a surface of the door; and one or more elastomeric retainers coupled to the housing and extending adjacent the one or more bore projections, wherein the one or more elastomeric retainers are configured to be received at least partially within the bore and engage with a sidewall of the bore so as to retain the housing assembly on the door.
In an example, the housing further includes a mounting plate having the one or more bore projections and an outer housing body configured to couple to the mounting plate, at least a portion of the one or more elastomeric retainers are disposed between the outer housing body and the mounting plate. In another example, at least a portion of the one or more elastomeric retainers are supported on the outer housing body. In yet another example, the one or more bore projections is a single, substantially cylindrical shaped projection having an outer diameter, at least a portion of the one or more elastomeric retainers radially extending beyond the outer diameter of the substantially cylindrical shaped projection. In still another example, a distal end of the one or more elastomeric retainers extends further out from the housing than the one or more bore projections.
In an example, the housing assembly further includes a wiring harness, at least a portion of the one or more elastomeric retainers configured to receive the wiring harness that extends out of the housing assembly. In another example, the one or more elastomeric retainers form a seal at least partially around the wiring harness.
In another aspect, the technology relates to an electronic lock housing assembly for a door including: a mounting plate including a substantially cylindrical bore projection, the substantially cylindrical bore projection configured to be received at least partially within a bore within the door such that the mounting plate is positionable against a surface of the door; an outer housing body coupled to the mounting plate and configured to support one or more systems configured to actuate a latch assembly; and one or more elastomeric retainers positioned along an outer perimeter of the substantially cylindrical bore projection, distal ends of the one or more elastomeric retainers projecting further out from the mounting plate than the substantially cylindrical bore projection, wherein the one or more elastomeric retainers are configured to be received at least partially within the bore and engage with a sidewall of the bore so as to retain the housing assembly on the door.
In an example, the one or more elastomeric retainers include a first retainer discrete from and different than a second retainer. In another example, each of the first retainer and the second retainer have an outer radial surface, the outer radial surfaces defining an outer diameter distance that is greater than an outer diameter of the substantially cylindrical bore projection. In yet another example, the outer housing body includes at least one support arm, the first retainer coupled to the at least one support arm. In still another example, the second retainer defines a channel configured to at least partially receive a wiring harness.
In an example, the first retainer is disposed approximately 180° relative to the second retainer. In another example, at least one of the first and second retainers include a flange that is captured between the mounting plate and the outer housing body.
In another aspect, the technology relates to a lock assembly for a door including: a latch assembly having a bolt movable between at least an extended position and a retracted position; a torque blade coupled to the latch assembly and selectively rotatable for moving the bolt between the extended position and the retracted position; and an exterior housing assembly configured to couple to the torque blade for driving rotation thereof, the exterior housing assembly including: a housing including one or more bore projections, the one or more bore projections configured to be received at least partially within a bore within the door such that the housing is positionable against a surface of the door; one or more elastomeric retainers coupled to the housing and extending adjacent the one or more bore projections, wherein the one or more elastomeric retainers are configured to be received at least partially within the bore and engage with a sidewall of the bore so as to retain the exterior housing assembly on the door; and at least a portion of an electronic actuation system for the latch assembly and configured to drive rotation of the torque blade
In an example, the one or more elastomeric retainers include a first retainer and a second retainer disposed on opposite sides of the torque blade. In another example, a wiring harness is included, the wiring harness extending through at least one of the first and second retainers. In yet another example, the second retainer is substantially square-shaped with a channel defined therein, the wiring harness disposed at least partially within the channel. In still another example, the first retainer is substantially U-shaped, each leg of the first retainer supported on the housing. In an example, the first and second retainers and the one or more bore projections form a substantially cylindrical shape corresponding to the bore of the door, the first and second retainers being less than half of an outer perimeter of the substantially cylindrical shape.
In another example, the housing includes an outer housing body and a mounting plate, the mounting plate having the one or more bore projections. In yet another example, the exterior housing assembly further includes a key cylinder mounted on the housing and coupled to the torque blade.
In another aspect, the technology relates to a method of installing a lock assembly on a door, the method including: providing a housing assembly including a mounting plate having a substantially cylindrical bore projection, one or more elastomeric retainers positioned along an outer perimeter of the substantially cylindrical bore projection, and a wiring harness, distal ends of the one or more elastomeric retainers projecting further out from the mounting plate than the substantially cylindrical bore projection; inserting the substantially cylindrical bore projection with the one or more elastomeric retainers within a bore of the door such that the mounting plate is positioned against a surface of the door, wherein the one or more elastomeric retainers engage with a sidewall of the bore so as to retain the housing assembly on the door; and upon retention of the housing assembly within the bore of the door, sealing the wiring harness at the housing assembly with the one or more elastomeric retainers.
In another aspect, the technology relates to an elastomeric retention assembly for a lock assembly including: a first elastomeric retainer including a base, a first leg, and a second leg, each of the first leg and the second leg having an end through which a receiver opening is formed, the receiver opening being shaped and sized to receive a support arm of a lock housing body, wherein a first curved bore engagement outer surface is defined at least partially along a side of the base, the first leg, and the second leg, the first curved bore engagement outer surface having a tapered end at distal ends of each of the first leg and the second leg tapering toward the end having the respective receiver opening; and a discrete second elastomeric retainer including a flange and a second bore engagement outer surface extending therefrom, the second elastomeric retainer defining a channel therethrough and accessible via a slit defined through the flange and the second bore engagement outer surface extending therefrom, the channel shaped and sized to receive at least one wire of the lock assembly.
In an example, the first curved bore engagement outer surface and the second curved bore engagement outer surface are configured to be position against a portion of an inner bore surface of a door.
A variety of additional aspects will be set forth in the description that follows. The aspects can relate to individual features and to combinations of features. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the broad inventive concepts upon which the embodiments disclosed herein are based.
The following drawings are illustrative of particular examples of the present disclosure and therefore do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. The drawings are not to scale and are intended for use in conjunction with the explanations in the following detailed description. Examples of the present disclosure will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like numerals denote like elements.
Various examples will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference to various examples does not limit the scope of the claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the appended claims.
Electronic lock assemblies typically include two housing assemblies, one for each side of a door, and a latch assembly that is operable via one or more actuation systems located within the two housing assemblies. The two housing assemblies are operatively coupled to each other and to the latch assembly all within a bore of the door. One of the housing assemblies is on a more secure side of the door, and thus, is configured to reduce tampering and access to the electronic lock assembly. Because the two housing assemblies are on opposite sides of the door and need to be coupled together, retaining one of the housing assemblies on the door during installation without being manually supported assists the installer.
The electronic lock assembly described below includes one or more elastomeric retainers extending from a rear of the housing assembly. The elastomeric retainers may project axially and/or radially from the other components of the housing assembly so as to engage within the bore and facilitate retaining the housing assembly on the door. In the examples, the elastomeric retainers are configured to compress against the bore and retain the position and/or orientation of the housing assembly within the bore and against the surface of the door. This retention allows for ease of installation as the housing assembly can remain on the door on its own without the installer needing to manually support it.
In examples, the elastomeric retainer may also at least partially capture a wiring harness and seal the portion of the wiring harness extending from the housing assembly.
The term “lock” or “lockset” is broadly intended to include any type of lock, including, but not limited to, deadbolts, knob locks, lever handle locks, mortise locks, and slide locks, whether mechanical, electrical, or electro-mechanical locks. The locking points may have various mounting configurations and/or locations, including, but not limited to: mortised within the doorframe, mounted externally to the doorframe or support structure, and/or affixed directly to the door.
The term “outside” is broadly used to mean an area outside the door 102 and “inside” is also broadly used to denote an area inside the door 102. With an exterior entry door, for example, the exterior housing assembly 104 may be mounted outside a building, while the interior housing assembly 108 may be mounted inside the building. With an interior door, the exterior housing assembly 104 may be mounted inside a building, but outside a room secured by the electronic lock assembly 100, while the interior housing assembly 108 may be mounted into the secured room. The electronic lock assembly 100 is applicable to both interior and exterior doors as required or desired.
In the example, the exterior housing assembly 104 includes a mounting plate 114 that mounts to the exterior surface of the door 102 and an outer housing body 116 that that couples to the mounting plate 114 and supports one or more systems configured to actuate the latch assembly 106. For example, the outer housing body 116 supports a touch screen or touch interface 118 that may be used to enter a passcode for electronically locking/unlocking the electronic lock assembly 100 or otherwise control operation thereof via an electronic actuation system. Although a touch interface 118 is shown in this example, additionally or alternatively, other input devices may be utilized on the exterior housing assembly 104, such as, but not limited to, a keypad with one or more buttons, biometric interface (e.g., a fingerprint sensor, retina, scanner, or camera including facial recognition), audio interface with voice recognition, and the like. In the example, the outer housing body 116 also supports a key cylinder 120 so that a physical key (not shown) can be used to mechanically lock/unlock the electronic lock assembly 100. Accordingly, the exterior housing assembly 104 may be used to lock/unlock the electronic lock assembly 100 either electronically using the touch interface 118 or mechanically using the key cylinder 120. In examples, the mounting plate 114 and the outer housing body 116 may be generally referred to as a housing which is configured to house and support the components of the exterior housing assembly 104 contained therewith.
As illustrated, the exterior housing assembly 104 has a decorative rectangular shape, but round, square, and other shapes for the exterior housing assembly 104 can be utilized as required or desired. In some examples, a handle (not shown) may be included with the exterior housing assembly 104. The exterior housing assembly 104 is described in further detail below.
The interior housing assembly 108 includes a mounting plate 122 that mounts to the interior surface of the door 102 and an outer housing body 124 (illustrated schematically) that couples to the mounting plate 122 and houses components of the interior housing assembly 108 such as a motor and electromechanical control thereof. In examples, a turn-piece (not shown) is supported on the outer housing body 124 and used to manually lock/unlock the electronic lock assembly 100 from the interior of the door 102. Examples of an interior housing assembly and exemplary components and features that may be contained therein are described in WIPO International Patent Application No. PCT/US2022/042150, filed Aug. 31, 2022, now WO 2023/038833 and WIPO International Patent Application No. PCT/US2022/078734, filed Oct. 26, 2022, now WO 2023/076962 which are both incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
The latch assembly 106 is mounted at least partially within an edge of the door 102 and is coupled to both the exterior housing assembly 104 and the interior housing assembly 108. The latch assembly 106 includes a bolt 126 that is movable between at least a locked (e.g., extended) and unlocked (e.g., retracted) position electronically and/or mechanically along a bolt axis 128. The bolt 126 moves linearly in and out of a sleeve 130. When the bolt 126 is retracted, an end of the bolt 126 is generally flush with a face plate 132 and as illustrated in
The latch assembly 106 is mounted in the door 102 between the interior housing assembly 108 and the exterior housing assembly 104. A drive shaft 134 (e.g., a torque blade) extends through a spindle drive (not shown) on the latch assembly 106 and couples to both the interior housing assembly 108 and the exterior housing assembly 104. The drive shaft 134 extends along and is rotatable around a shaft axis 136 to drive the movement of the bolt 126. The drive shaft 134 may be a single component or be formed from multiple components that transfer rotational movement there along as required or desired. In the example, the shaft axis 136 is orthogonal to the bolt axis 128. In operation, rotation of the drive shaft 134 in a first direction causes the bolt 126 to extend and rotation of the drive shaft 134 in the opposing direction causes the bolt 126 to retract. Rotation of the drive shaft 134 may be induced by manual rotation of the turn-piece, mechanical rotation via the key cylinder 120, and/or electronically controlled with a motor (not shown) housed within the interior housing assembly 108 and responsive to input from the touch interface 118 to extend/retract the bolt 126. In examples, the motor may be an electric motor that is powered by a power source housed within the interior housing assembly 108, such as, but not limited to, a battery pack.
In the example, the exterior housing assembly 104 is coupled in communication with the interior housing assembly 108. This coupling may allow electronic power and/or signals to be transmitted between the exterior housing assembly 104 and the interior housing assembly 108. The exterior housing assembly 104 includes a wiring harness 138 extending therefrom with an exterior connector 140 disposed on the free end. The wiring harness 138 enables a cable (e.g., electrical wires) to extend from the exterior housing assembly 104 and, for example, extend through the bore on the door 102 to reach towards the interior side and physically couple to the interior housing assembly 108.
As such, to install the electronic lock assembly 100 on the door 102, the exterior housing assembly 104 is first positioned on the exterior surface of the door 102 with the drive shaft 134 and wiring harness 138 extending through the bore. From the interior side of the door 102 and the mounting plate 122, the interior housing assembly 108 is secured to the door 102. However, maintaining position of the exterior housing assembly 104 during the assembly can be difficult as most of the assembly process occurs on the interior side of the door 102. Accordingly, and as further described herein, the exterior housing assembly 104 includes one or more elastomeric retainers 142, 144 coupled to the mounting plate 114 that are configured to be received at least partially within the bore and engage with the door 102 so as to retain the exterior housing assembly 104 on the door 102. These elastomeric retainers 142, 144 frictionally engage within the bore of the door 102 and facilitate maintaining position and/or orientation of the exterior housing assembly 104 on the door 102 during installation and during use of the electronic lock assembly 100. Additionally, one of the elastomeric retainers 144 can be used to at least partially seal around the wiring harness 138.
The bore projection 158 defines a top opening 166 and an opposite bottom opening 168. The top opening 166 is configured to allow the drive shaft 134 (shown in
At the top of the outer perimeter of the bore support 170, a pair of circumferentially spaced support arms 176, 178 project from the outer housing body 116. The support arms 176, 178 are configured to support the elastomeric retainer 142 and are configured to extend through the top opening 166 of the mounting plate 114.
Additionally, the outer surfaces 190, 198 of the elastomeric retainers 142, 144 are radially outward relative to the sidewall perimeter 160 of the bore projection 158 with the outer diameter 162 (shown in
The first elastomeric retainer 142 extends through the top opening 166 of the mounting plate 114. The first elastomeric retainer 142 has the legs 182, 184 supported on the support arms 176, 178 of the outer housing body 116. The distal ends of the legs 182, 184 taper radially inward so as to facilitate the insertion of the first elastomeric retainer 142 into the bore of the door 102. The U-shaped body of the first elastomeric retainer 142 allows for access to the key cylinder 120 and the drive shaft 134 that are coupled together with a clip 206.
The second elastomeric retainer 144 extends through the bottom opening 168 of the mounting plate 114. The second elastomeric retainer 144 receives the wiring harness 138 that extends out of the exterior housing assembly 104. The wiring harness 138 is received within the channel 194. In an example, the second elastomeric retainer 144 forms a seal at least partially around the wiring harness 138. The distal end of the second elastomeric retainer 144 taper radially inward so as to facilitate the insertion of the second elastomeric retainer 144 into the bore of the door 102.
In the example, the elastomeric retainers 142, 144 may be at least partially compressed when inserted into the bore 208. As such, the second elastomeric retainer 144 at least partially forms a seal around the wiring harness 138 so as to reduce egress into the exterior housing assembly 104. By positioning the elastomeric retainers 142, 144 at the top and bottom of the bore 208, interference with the latch assembly 106 is reduced. The flanges 186, 192 of the elastomeric retainers 142, 144 are captured between the mounting plate 114 and the outer housing body 116 during the assembly of the exterior housing assembly 104.
The substantially cylindrical bore projection with the one or more elastomeric retainers are inserted within a bore of the door (operation 304) such that the mounting plate is positioned against a surface of the door. In the example, the one or more elastomeric retainers engage with a sidewall of the door defining the bore so as to retain the housing assembly on the door. Upon retention of the housing assembly within the bore of the door, the wiring harness is sealed at the housing assembly with the one or more elastomeric retainers (operation 306).
In further examples, the method 300 may include coupling the housing assembly to a latch assembly for operation of the latch assembly (e.g., via a drive shaft or torque blade). Additionally or alternatively, the housing assembly may be an exterior housing assembly and the method 300 includes coupling the wiring harness to an interior housing assembly and mounting the interior housing assembly on an opposite side of the door.
The electronic lock assembly described herein facilitates installation and positioning of a housing assembly on a bore of a door. In the examples, an exterior housing assembly includes one or more elastomeric retainers that extend from a rear of the exterior housing assembly. The elastomeric retainers may project axially and/or radially from the other components of the exterior housing assembly so as to engage within the bore and facilitate retaining the exterior housing assembly on the door. By more securely retaining the position of the exterior housing assembly on the door, coupling a latch assembly and an interior housing assembly thereto is more easily facilitated. In examples, the elastomeric retainer may at least partially capture a wiring harness and seal the portion of the wiring harness extending from the exterior housing assembly. While the elastomeric retainers are described as being incorporated within the exterior housing assembly, it is appreciated that elastomeric retainers can additionally or alternatively be included on the interior housing assembly, and/or the latch assembly as required or desired.
Illustrative examples of the latch assembly disclosed herein are provided below. An embodiment of the latch assembly may include any one or more, and any combination of, the examples described below.
Example 1. A lock assembly for a door comprising:
In the drawings, some structural or method features may be shown in specific arrangements and/or orderings. However, it should be appreciated that such specific arrangements and/or orderings may not be required. Rather, in some examples, such features may be arranged in a different manner and/or order than shown in the illustrative figures. Additionally, the inclusion of a structural or method feature in a particular figure is not meant to imply that such feature is required in all examples and, in some examples, may not be included or may be combined with other features.
References in the specification to “one example,” “an example,” “an illustrative example,” etc., indicate that the example described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every example may or may not necessarily include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same example. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an example, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other examples whether or not explicitly described. Additionally, it should be appreciated that items included in a list in the form of “at least one A, B, and C” can mean (A); (B); (C); (A and B); (A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C). Similarly, items listed in the form of “at least one of A, B, or C” can mean (A); (B); (C); (A and B); (A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C). Moreover, one having skill in the art will understand the degree to which terms such as “about,” “approximately,” or “substantially” convey in light of the measurements techniques utilized herein. To the extent such terms may not be clearly defined or understood by one having skill in the art, the term “about” shall mean plus or minus ten percent.
From the forgoing detailed description, it will be evident that modifications and variations can be made in the aspects of the disclosure without departing from the spirit or scope of the aspects. While the best modes for carrying out the many aspects of the present teachings have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which these teachings relate will recognize various alternative aspects for practicing the present teachings that are within the scope of the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/490,744, filed Mar. 16, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63490744 | Mar 2023 | US |
