The present invention relates generally to the field of locks, and more particularly, to multi-point lock assemblies for sliding doors and windows, or similar structures.
In a typical sliding door installation, a door latch having one or more latching members is mounted into the stile of a movable door. A keeper is typically mounted into an opposing stationary door jam. The door is closed by bringing the stile into contact with the door jam, and then, locked by rotating a door locking lever to cause the latching members to extend and engage aligned corresponding openings in the opposing keeper. To enhance the strength of the locking relationship between the door and the keeper, multiple latching members are preferably used in the door latch, hence the term multi-point lock. Multi-point locks of this type provide increased security against forced entry.
Examples of multi-point locks are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,632 and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0134634, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,170 there is disclosed a multi-point door latch incorporating a pair of opposing hooks pivotably mounted to an adjustment assembly. The adjustment assembly is operative to displace the pivot axis of each hook within the lock's housing to enable adjustment of the hooks, forwardly and rearwardly, for engagement with an opposing keeper.
The present invention describes and illustrates a multi-point door latch suitable for use with various closures such as sliding doors and windows to be securely closed and locked. By way of illustration, the multi-point lock is especially suitable for use with sliding doors that open to an outside area where restricted passage is desired.
In accordance with one embodiment, there is described a multi-point lock assembly adapted for releasable engagement with a keeper, the lock assembly comprising a housing; a pair of actuators rotatably supported within the housing whereby rotation of one actuator causes rotation of the other actuator; a first latching member coupled to one actuator and a second latching member coupled to the other actuator; and at least one track formed within the housing in operative association with the first and second latching members, wherein rotation of one of the actuators causes at least one of the first and second latching members to be displaced along the at least one track between a non-latching position and a latching position.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, there is described a multi-point lock assembly adapted for releasable engagement with a keeper, the lock assembly comprising a housing; first and second meshed actuators rotatably supported within the housing, whereby rotation of the first actuator causes rotation of the second actuator; a first arm assembly pivotally coupled to the first actuator; a second arm assembly pivotally coupled to the second actuator; a first latching member coupled to the first arm assembly having a first portion adapted for releasable engagement with a keeper; a second latching member coupled to the second arm assembly having a first portion adapted for releasable engagement with a keeper; and wherein rotation of the first or second actuator causes displacement of the first and second latching members longitudinally within the housing between non-latching and latching positions, wherein the first and second portions of the latching members engage the keeper when in the latching position.
In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention, there is described a multi-point door lock assembly for releasable engagement with a keeper, the lock assembly comprising an elongated hollow housing; first and second meshed actuators rotatably supported within the housing, wherein rotation of at least one of the first and second actuators in one direction causes rotation of the other actuator in an opposite direction; a first arm assembly having a first end and a second end, the first end of the first arm assembly pivotably coupled to the first actuator; a second arm assembly having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second arm assembly pivotably coupled to the second actuator; a first bolt having an enlarged end and an opposite threaded end threadingly coupled to the second end of the first arm assembly; a second bolt having an enlarged end and an opposite threaded end threadingly coupled to the second end of the second arm assembly; a first track within the housing coupled to the second end of the first arm assembly; a second track within the housing coupled to the second end of the second arm assembly; and hereby rotation of at least one of the first or second actuators causes the first and second bolts to be displaced in a longitudinal direction within the housing along the first and second tracks between a non-latching position and a latching position whereby the enlarged end of the first and second bolts releasably engage a keeper.
In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention, there is described a multi-point lock assembly adapted for releasable engagement with a keeper, the lock assembly comprising; a housing; a pair of spaced apart latching members moveable between a non-latching position and a latching position in releasable engagement with a keeper; and an actuator assembly for moving the latching members between the non-latching and latching position; and wherein the latching members have one end moveably coupled to the actuator assembly for adjusting the position of another end of the latching members relative to the actuator assembly.
In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention, there is described a multi-point lock assembly comprising a housing; an actuator assembly supported within the housing; a first latching member and a second latching member coupled to the actuator assembly; and at least one track formed within the housing in operative association with at least one of the first and second latching members, wherein operation of the actuator assembly causes at least one of the first and second latching members to be displaced along the at least one track between a non-latching position and a latching position.
In describing the preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be used for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so used, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all equivalence that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.
Turning now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like elements, there is illustrated in
The components forming the lock assembly 100 are assembled internally within a housing 126 formed from the back plate 102 and front plate 104 as shown in
In a similar construction, the front plate 104 includes a front sidewall 136 and a pair of spaced apart top walls 138, 140. The top walls 138, 140 are arranged generally transverse to the front sidewall 136 along its top edge at opposite ends thereof. Unlike the back plate 102, the front plate 104 does not include a bottom wall. Like the back plate 102, the front plate 104 can be constructed using a suitable stamping process from sheet metal and the like. The back plate 102 and front plate 104 include a plurality of openings whose shape, arrangement and function will be described hereinafter in conjunction with the assembling of the lock assembly 100 and the operation thereof of the latching members 114 from between a latched orientation and an unlatched orientation.
The long arm assembly 110, as shown in
Referring to
The short arm assembly 112 is shown in unassembled relationship in
Referring now to
The anti-slam plunger assembly 118 includes a main body 186. The lower end of the main body 186 is provided with a laterally extending projection 188 having a pin 190 extending outwardly from opposite sides thereof. A cylindrical plunger 192 extends from other end of the main body 186. The main body 186 is normally biased upwardly within the housing 126 by a compression spring 194 engaged against the lower end of the main body.
The anti-slam plunger assembly 118 is mounted within the lock assembly 100 between the back plate 102 and front plate 104 overlying the bottom wall 130. The plunger 192 extends upwardly freely through opening 196 in the top wall 132 of the back plate 102. The spring 194 is positioned and secured at its bottom end by projecting tab 198 extending upwardly from the bottom wall 130 of the back plate 102. The pin 190 extending from the projection 188 extends through vertically arranged slotted openings 200 formed in the back sidewall 128 of the back plate 102, see
A keeper 202 for the lock assembly 100 is shown in
Referring now specifically to
The actuators 106, 108 are rotationally secured within the housing 106 by virtue of the opposite ends of their cylindrical body 142 being rotationally received within aligned openings 210, 212, within the back plate 102 and front plate 104. The actuators 106, 108 are positioned juxtaposed one another such that their respective gears 144 are meshed with each other. According to this arrangement, rotation of actuator 106 via a tail piece (not shown) attached to, for example, a handle, thumb knob or key lock, will effect corresponding rotation of the other actuator 108. As a result, rotation of actuator 106 in a clockwise direction will effect rotation of actuator 108 in a counterclockwise direction, and vice versa.
The long arm assembly 110 is pivotably coupled to the arm 146 of actuator 106 by a pin 214 extending through the opening 166 in the actuator extension 164 and opening 148 within the actuator arm. The other end of the long arm assembly 110 is coupled to the back plate 102 and front plate 104 by means of the guide pin 174 having its opposite ends captured within tracks 216 formed within the back plate and front plate. The tracks 216 are formed in the nature of elongated slots having first and second linear portions arranged at an obtuse angle to each other. As best shown in
In a like manner, the short arm assembly 112 is pivotably coupled to the arm 152 of actuator 108. Specifically, a pin 214 extends through the opening 166 in the short arm extension 164 and the opening 154 within the actuator extension 152. The other end of the short arm assembly 112 is guided within the track 216 by means of guide pin 174 in the manner previously described.
The latching members 114, as shown in
The spring 116 is operative for biasing the long arm assembly 110 and short arm assembly 112 between latched and unlatched orientations within the housing 126. As shown in
The lock assembly 110 is secured within an opening within the stile of a moveable door or the like. In this regard, screws (now shown) are inserted into the door stile through the openings in the top walls 138, 140 of the front plate 104. Bolts 230 are arranged extending transversely through the door so as to pass through the housing 126 and through openings 232 within the back plate 102 and front plate 104, see
The operation of the lock assembly 100 will now be described. In the unlatched position as shown in
Before closing the sliding door against the opposing door jam or keeper, the plunger 192 of the anti-slam plunger assembly 118 extends outwardly by operation of spring 194 as shown in
With the anti-slam plunger assembly 118 now disengaged, the lock assembly 100 may be manipulated into a latched position such as shown in
As the latching members 114 are displaced outwardly, they are initially received within the larger portion of the keyhole shaped opening 206 of the keeper 202. As the latching members 114 are further displaced longitudinally, the latching members are received within the narrow restricted portion of the keyhole shaped opening 206. As the head 226 of the latching members 114 is larger than the narrow portion of the keyhole shaped opening 206, opening of the door or other closure is precluded.
Clearance between the head 226 of the latching members 114 and the keeper 202 is adjustable to ensure positive door closure. In this regard, each of the latching members 114 is threadably received within their corresponding long arm assembly 110 or short arm assembly 112. The latching members 114 may be advanced outwardly or inwardly by rotating the latching members to either increase or decrease their threaded engagement with the threaded openings 170 within the long and short arm assemblies. Rotation of the latching members 114 can be accomplished, by way of example, using a suitable tool such as a screwdriver engaged within the adjustment slot 228 or other shaped opening. In addition, the shape of the head 226 of the latching members 114 may be polygonal or other shape whereby a suitable wrench may be used for adjustment.
The lock assembly 100 may be unlocked in a reversed procedure to that of locking the lock assembly as thus far described. Specifically, the actuator 106 will be rotated in a clockwise direction which will effect counterclockwise rotation of actuator 108. Rotation of the actuators 106, 108 will cause the long arm assembly 110 and short arm assembly 112 to be drawn inwardly towards each other while following along their respective tracks 216 by virtue of engaged guide pins 174. As a result, the latching members 114 will be withdrawn from the keyhole shaped openings 206 within the keeper 202 and retracted into the interior of the housing 126 as shown in
Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.