The present disclosure relates to movable barriers, and particularly to security gates. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to latches and swing-direction controllers in a swinging security gate unit for use in a doorway.
A gate unit in accordance with the present disclosure includes a gate that can be moved in a doorway about a pivot axis by a person between closed and opened positions. In the closed position, the gate is arranged to block movement through the doorway.
In illustrative embodiments, the gate unit includes a gate mount that is adapted to mate with a door frame bordering a doorway. The gate is mounted for swinging movement between opened and closed positions about a vertical pivot axis on upper and lower hinges included in a gate-pivot support portion of the gate mount that is coupled to a first door jamb included in the door frame.
In illustrative embodiments, the swinging gate includes a barrier wall, an upper latch pin coupled to an upper portion of the barrier wall, and a lower latch pin coupled to a lower portion of the barrier wall and arranged to lie below the upper latch pin. The upper latch pin is configured to mate with an upper latch included in a gate-motion blocker portion of the gate mount that is coupled to an opposing second door jamb included in the door frame upon arrival of the swinging gate at the closed position. The lower latch pin is configured to mate with a lower latch included in the gate-motion blocker portion of the gate mount that is coupled to the second door jamb.
In illustrative embodiments, each of the upper and lower latches includes a spring-biased gate retainer that is mounted for up-and-down movement in a channel formed in the host latch to intercept a companion latch pin as the swinging gate arrives at the closed position. The spring-biased movable gate retainer is formed to include a pin-receiver notch sized to receive and retain a free end of a companion latch pin upon arrival of the swinging gate at the closed position. Cam ramps are provided on the spring-biased gate retainer in each of the upper and lower latches on either side of each pin-receiver notch and arranged to intercept the free end of a companion latch pin of a swinging gate as the gate approaches the closed position to provide means for compressing an underlying spring to move the gate retainer downwardly against the spring to allow the latch pin to travel on the cam ramp and then snap into the pin-receiver notch during upward spring-driven movement of the spring-biased gate retainer to a normal position to block further swinging movement of the gate about the pivot axis and retain the gate in the closed position. Each spring-biased gate retainer includes a clockwise-motion cam ramp arranged to face in one direction to intercept a companion latch pin of a gate swinging in a clockwise direction about the pivot axis toward a closed position and a counterclockwise-motion cam ramp arranged to face in an opposite direction to intercept a companion latch pin of a gate swinging in a counterclockwise direction about the pivot axis toward a closed position.
In illustrative embodiments, the gate unit further includes a bidirectional swing stop that is coupled to the lower latch and arranged to block rotation of the swinging gate about the vertical pivot axis in either a counterclockwise direction or a clockwise direction at the option of a caregiver. The swing stop can be positioned on the lower latch by the caregiver to lie in a first orientation on the lower latch to intercept the lower latch pin of a gate swinging in a clockwise direction toward a closed position to block continued swinging motion of the gate in the clockwise direction past the closed position. Alternatively, the swing stop can be positioned by the caregiver to lie in a second orientation on the lower latch to intercept the lower latch pin of a gate swinging in a counterclockwise direction toward a closed position to block continued swinging motion of the gate in the counterclockwise direction past the closed position.
Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.
The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:
Gate unit 10 includes a gate mount 12 that is adapted to mate with opposing first and second door jambs 21, 22 of door frame 20 and a swinging gate 14 that is mounted to swing about a vertical pivot axis 14A between opened and closed positions as suggested in
Gate mount 12 includes a gate-pivot support 18 coupled to first door jamb 21 and configured to include upper and lower hinges 18U, 18L and a gate-motion blocker 30 coupled to second door jamb 22 and configured to include separate upper and lower latches 30U, 30L as suggested in
Gate-motion blocker 30 also includes a bidirectional swing stop 16 coupled to lower latch 30L as suggested in
Gate 14 includes a barrier wall 140 defined by overlapping left-side and right-side panels 141, 142 in an illustrative embodiment shown in
Gate 14 also includes an upper latch pin 144 coupled to an upper right corner of right-side panel 142 as shown, for example, in
Gate 14 also includes a lower latch pin 145 coupled to a lower right corner of right-side panel 142 as shown, for example, in
An illustrative upper latch 30U is shown in
Spring-biased movable gate retainer 54 of upper latch 30U includes a rear cam ramp 54R and a front cam ramp 54F arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to rear cam ramp 54R to form pin-receiver notch 54N therebetween. Each cam ramp 54R, 54F is inclined to move gate retainer 54 downwardly against an upwardly directed biasing force generated by the underlying retainer-biasing spring 59 to guide the upper latch pin 144 of swinging gate 14 into the pin-receiver notch 54N formed in the movable gate retainer 54 during swinging movement of gate 14 about vertical pivot axis 14A toward the closed position. Rear cam ramp 54R has a positive slope and front cam ramp 54F has a negative slope in illustrative embodiments.
Pin-release lever 53 is formed to include an outwardly opening shallow pin-retention channel 533 and flanking outwardly opening first and second broad and deep lost-motion pin-release channels 531, 532 as shown, for example, in
An illustrative lower latch 30L is shown in
Spring-biased movable gate retainer 64 is formed to include a rear cam ramp 64R, a front cam ramp 64F, and a pin-receiver notch 64N formed between cam ramps 64R, 64F, as suggested in
Each cam ramp 64R, 64F is inclined to move gate retainer 64 downwardly against an upwardly directed biasing force generated by an underlying spring 69 to guide the lower latch pin 145 of swinging gate 14 into the pin-receiver notch 64N during swinging movement of gate 14 about vertical pivot axis 14A toward the closed position. Rear cam ramp 64R has a positive slope and front cam ramp 64F has a negative slope in illustrative embodiments.
Bidirectional swing stop 16 is included in gate-motion blocker 30 and is configured to be coupled to lower latch 30L by a caregiver in a first orientation shown in
Bidirectional swing stop 16 is configured to be mounted in two different orientations on lower latch 30U as suggested in
A gate unit 10 in accordance with the present disclosure includes a gate 14 that can be moved in a doorway about a vertical pivot axis 14A by a person between closed and opened positions. In the closed position, the gate 14 is arranged to block movement through the doorway as suggested in
In illustrative embodiments, gate unit 10 includes a gate mount 12 that is adapted to mate with a door frame 20 bordering a doorway. Gate 14 is mounted for swinging movement between opened and closed positions about vertical pivot axis 14A on upper and lower hinges 18U, 18L included in a gate-pivot support portion of gate mount 12 that is coupled to a first door jamb 21 included in door frame 20.
In illustrative embodiments, swinging gate 14 includes a barrier wall 140, an upper latch pin 144 coupled to an upper portion of barrier wall 140, and a lower latch pin 145 coupled to a lower portion of barrier wall 140 and arranged to lie below upper latch pin 144. Upper latch pin 144 is configured to mate with an upper latch 30U included in a gate motion-blocker portion of gate mount 12 that is coupled to an opposing second door jamb 22 included in door frame 20 upon arrival of swinging gate 14 at the closed position. Lower latch pin 145 is configured to mate with a lower latch 30L included in the gate motion-blocker portion of the gate mount 12 that is coupled to second door jamb 22.
In illustrative embodiments, upper latch 30U is formed to include a pin-receiver notch 54N sized to receive and retain a free end of a companion latch pin 144 upon arrival of the swinging gate 14 at the closed position. Cam ramps 54R, 54F are provided in upper latch 30U on either side of pin-receiver notch 54N and arranged to intercept the free end of a latch pin 144 of a swinging gate 14 as the gate 14 approaches the closed position to provide means for pushing the spring-biased gate retainer 54 downwardly in a companion retainer-receiver channel 50C formed in gate-retainer support 52 against retainer-biasing spring 59 and for guiding the free end of a latch pin 144 into a companion pin-receiver notch 54N formed in spring-biased gate retainer 54 to block further swinging movement of the gate 14 about the vertical pivot axis 14A and retain the gate 14 in the closed position. Upper latch 30U includes a clockwise-motion cam ramp 54R arranged to face in one direction to intercept latch pin 144 of gate 14 swinging in a clockwise direction about vertical pivot axis 14A toward a closed position and a counterclockwise-motion cam ramp 54F arranged to face in an opposite direction to intercept latch pin 144 of gate 14 swinging in a counterclockwise direction about pivot axis 14A toward a closed position.
In illustrative embodiments, lower latch 30L is formed to include a pin-receiver notch 64N sized to receive and retain a free end of a companion latch pin 145 upon arrival of the swinging gate 14 at the closed position. Cam ramps 64R, 64F are provided in the lower latch 30L on either side of pin-receiver notch 64N and arranged to intercept the free end of a latch pin 145 of a swinging gate 14 as the gate 14 approaches the closed position to provide means for pushing the spring-biased gate retainer 64 downwardly in a companion retainer-receiving channel formed in gate-retainer support 62 against retainer-biasing spring 69 and for guiding the free end of latch pin 145 into a companion pin-receiver notch 64N formed in spring-biased gate retainer 64 to block further swinging movement of gate 14 about pivot axis 14A and retain gate 14 in the closed position. Lower latch 30L includes a clockwise-motion cam ramp 64R arranged to face in one direction to intercept a latch pin 145 of a gate 14 swinging in a clockwise direction about the vertical pivot axis 14A toward a closed position and a counterclockwise-motion cam ramp 64F arranged to face in an opposite direction to intercept a latch pin 145 of gate 14 swinging in a counterclockwise direction about the vertical pivot axis 14A toward a closed position.
In illustrative embodiments, gate unit 10 further includes a bidirectional swing stop 16 that is coupled to lower latch 30L and arranged to block rotation of swinging gate 14 about vertical pivot axis 14A in either a counterclockwise direction or a clockwise direction at the option of a caregiver. It is desired to use swing stop 16 to minimize motion of a swinging gate over stairs in a stairwell. The bidirectional swing stop 16 can be positioned on lower latch 30L by the caregiver to lie in a first orientation on the lower latch 30L to intercept lower latch pin 145 of a gate 14 swinging in a clockwise direction toward a closed position to block continued swinging motion of gate 14 in the clockwise direction past the closed position. Alternatively, the bidirectional swing stop 16 can be positioned by the caregiver to lie in a second orientation on lower latch 30L to intercept the lower latch pin 145 of a gate 14 swinging in a counterclockwise direction toward a closed position to block continued swinging motion of gate 14 in the counterclockwise direction past the closed position.
A latch mechanism 30U, 30L is provided in gate mount 12 in accordance with the present disclosure is configured for ease of use by a consumer to allow swinging gate 14 to lock in place when gate 14 is swung shut without the need for the consumer to lift the gate 14 into the locked position. Gate unit 10 is provided with a redundant release action by means of upper and lower latches 30U, 30L to minimize risk of unauthorized opening of gate 14. Lower latch 30L is configured to accept a bidirectional swing stop 16 to allow a consumer to control the swing direction of gate 14. Bidirectional swing stop 16 is installed from the back side as suggested in
During a normal opening operation of gate 14, a user grasps a portion of barrier wall 140 while rotating pin-release lever 53 of upper latch 30U about axis of rotation 53A to place either of pin-retention channels 531, 532 in confronting relation to pin-receiver notch 54N to free the trapped latch pin 144 so that it can exit pin-receiver notch 54N. With pin-release lever 53 rotated out of the way, the consumer can lift gate 14 in an upward direction and then swing gate 14 away from upper and lower latches 30U, 30L to disengage upper latch pin 144 from upper latch 30U and to disengage lower latch pin 145 from lower latch 30L.
To close the gate 14, the consumer swings gate 14 about pivot axis 14A toward the closed position. Each latch pin 144, 145 rides on a companion cam ramp in upper or lower latch 30U, 30L to move spring-biased gate retainer 54 or 64 downwardly to compress a spring 59 or 69 housed in gate-retainer support 52 or 62 to allow each latch pin 144, 145 to move into its companion pin-receiver notch 54N, 64N. Then each mover-lift spring 59 or 69 exerts an upward force to move spring-biased gate retainer 54 or 64 upwardly to retain latch pin 144 in pin-receiver notch 54N and latch pin 145 in pin-receiver notch 64N to lock gate 14 in the closed position.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/889,806, filed Oct. 11, 2013, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61889806 | Oct 2013 | US |