Patent Grant
11313151
The present invention generally relates to locking devices, and more particularly, but not exclusively to, a pushbar-type locking device.
Commercial or public buildings are typically required by law to provide for an emergency exit in case of an adverse event such as a fire. Common emergency exits include a latch-closed double door where both doors are mounted within a door frame, and a latch-closed single door mounted in a door frame. An exit device mounted to the door is typically used by individuals to exit the building through the emergency exit. Different types of exit devices include panic bars, push pads, and pushbars. A pushbar is commonly located on a door at a convenient height for an individual to push when exiting through the door. When the door is locked, a latchbolt typically engages a rim latch roller strike, which prevents the door from opening. Depressing the pushbar actuates retraction of the latchbolt and disengagement from the strike, thereby allowing the door to be opened.
Although the pushbar exit device provides certain advantages for individuals exiting a building or moving from one area to another area within a building, the pushbar exit device can be considered by individuals who live or work in a building to be unnecessarily restrictive. To overcome this inconvenience, an individual who uses a door having a pushbar many times during a day may decide to prop the door open with a door stop. In other situations, if a large number of individuals use that same door during a day, the latch roller strike may be removed from the door frame. The absence of the latch roller strike, however, enables anyone (including unauthorized individuals) to enter the building or facility.
Current exit doors, including corridor doors, main doors, and room doors in buildings or facilities having pushbar exit devices are generally designed to provide easy exit through the door, but to prevent entry when the door is locked. In some pushbar exit devices, the position of the door is sensed by a sensor that determines a position of the latchbolt, which generally engages the door strike when the door is shut. If the door strike has been removed, however, the sensor may indicate that the door is locked even when it is not. Accordingly, a mechanism is needed to positively identify a security condition of the door in the event that a pushbar exit device has been “defeated.”
In one embodiment, there is provided a locking device for a door located at a door frame having a door strike.
In another embodiment, there is provided a locking device including a latchbolt assembly for a door located at a door frame. The locking device assembly includes a door strike assembly located at the door frame. The door strike assembly includes a magnetized ferromagnetic material. The latchbolt assembly is located at the door and includes a latchbolt and a magnetic field sensor, wherein the magnetic field sensor senses a magnetic field provided by the door strike assembly.
In still another embodiment, there is provided a door strike assembly located at a door frame configured to engage a locking mechanism located at a door. The door strike assembly includes a strike frame and a rod, wherein one of the strike frame and the rod includes a magnetized ferromagnetic material configured to provide a magnetic field.
In a further embodiment, there is provided a method of identifying a security condition of a door including an attached latchbolt assembly. The method includes: providing a door strike assembly configured to engage the latchbolt assembly, wherein the door strike assembly is configured to be located at a door frame; generating a magnetic field with the door strike assembly; sensing the presence or absence of the generated magnetic with the latchbolt assembly; and providing an alert in the absence of the generated magnetic field.
Further embodiments, forms, features, and aspects of the present application shall become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.
The concepts described herein are illustrative by way of example and not by way of limitation in the accompanying figures. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Where considered appropriate, references labels have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements.
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation on the scope of the invention is hereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications in the described embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the invention as described herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.
In the illustrated embodiment, a latchbolt 20 is operably connected to a locking mechanism of the locking device 10, and extends from the locking device 10 to lock and unlock the door 14 (see, for example,
The door 14 is unlocked by a user depressing the pushbar 16 toward the housing 18 and consequently toward the door 14. Pushing or depressing the pushbar 16 actuates the locking mechanism to retract the latchbolt 20, while at the same time supplying a force to move the door from the closed position to the open position. The locking mechanism is covered by a locking mechanism housing 26. The latchbolt assembly 28 further includes a magnetic sensing assembly 40 mounted to the mounting bracket 32 which is attached to a mounting plate 30, as illustrated in
As further illustrated in
The circuit board, electrically coupled to the magnetometer, is configured to locate, contain, and implement the magnetometer functionality circuit. In one embodiment, the magnetometer is an integrated circuit electrically coupled to a printed circuit board including, but not limited to other integrated circuits and discrete electrical components. In other embodiments, the circuit board includes or facilitates electrical communication circuitry for the magnetometer, processing circuitry such as a microprocessor, and associated memory. In different embodiments, the communication circuitry is wired, wireless, or a combination of wired and wireless communication circuitry.
The illustrative magnetic sensing assembly 40 is operatively connected to a controller 43 later described in reference to
As shown in
The illustrative cavity 66 includes a bottom 70 and sides 72. In the illustrative embodiment, the sides 72 are generally perpendicular to the plane defined by the wall 64 and interface with sides of the magnetized ferromagnetic device 68. In some embodiments, an inclined side 74 extends generally from the wall 64 to the bottom 70 and facilitates the insertion and removal of the magnetized ferromagnetic device 68 into the door strike assembly 22. In the event the magnetized ferromagnetic device 74 has a magnetic field that is insufficient (e.g., in magnitude) to be detected by the magnetic sensing device 40, the inclined side 74 may facilitate removal of the magnetized ferromagnetic device 68 for replacement with a new magnetized ferromagnetic device (e.g., a different permanent magnet).
The back side 62 of the illustrative door strike assembly 22 further includes a plurality of channels 78 defined by inclined sides that define peaks 80. In some embodiments, the peaks 80 terminate at the plane defined by the wall 64. In other embodiments, the peaks 80 extend beyond the plane and/or are located “below” the plane. In some embodiments, the channels 78 may be configured to prevent the door strike assembly 22 from “sticking” to the surface to which the assembly is attached.
In the embodiment of
In
The memory 94 is a non-transitory computer readable medium having data stored thereon, and is in communication with the processor 92. The data stored on the memory 94 may include, for example, one or more sets of instructions, one or more look-up tables, and/or additional data. The instructions are executed, when required, by the processor 92 to cause the processor 92 to perform one or more functions such as, for example, the functions described herein. The controller 43, in different embodiments, is housed within the locking device 10 or is located externally to the locking device 10.
The processor 92 in different embodiments, is a programmable type, a dedicated, hardwired state machine, or a combination of these, and can further include multiple processors, Arithmetic-Logic Units (ALUs), Central Processing Units (CPUs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) or the like. Other forms of processor 92 include multiple processing units, distributed, pipelined, and/or parallel processing. The processor 92, in different embodiments, is dedicated to performance of the operations described herein or is utilized in one or more additional operations or applications. In the depicted form, the processor 92 is of a programmable variety that executes algorithms and processes data in accordance with defined by programmed instructions (such as software or firmware) stored in memory 94. Alternatively or additionally, the operating logic for processor 92 is at least partially defined by hardwired logic or other hardware. The processor 92, in different embodiments, is comprised of one or more components of any type suitable to process the signals received from the magnetometer 90, and provides desired output signals. Such components may include digital circuitry, analog circuitry, or a combination of both.
The memory 94 includes one or more types, such as a solid-state variety, electromagnetic variety, optical variety, or a combination of these forms. Furthermore, the memory 94 includes, in different embodiments, volatile, nonvolatile, or a combination of these types, and a portable variety, such as a disk, tape, memory stick, cartridge, or the like. In addition, the memory 94 is configured to store data that is manipulated by the operating logic of the processor 92, for example, such as data representative of signals received from and/or sent to the locking device 10 in addition to or in lieu of stored program instructions.
In other embodiments, the magnetic door strike assembly 22 is used in conjunction with a door position sensing (DPS) system 15, which is configured to determine the position of the door 14 with respect to the door frame 24. If the door is closed in a DPS system lacking the door strike assembly 22, the DPS may indicate that the door is closed, but will not indicate that the door is unlocked due to the lack of the magnetic door strike assembly 22. By including the magnetic door strike assembly 22, the condition where the surface mounted door strike has been removed either intentionally, or by theft, eliminates the condition of a falsely secured entryway.
References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an illustrative embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may or may not necessarily include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. It should further be appreciated that although reference to a “preferred” component or feature may indicate the desirability of a particular component or feature with respect to an embodiment, the disclosure is not so limiting with respect to other embodiments, which may omit such a component or feature. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to implement such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. Additionally, it should be appreciated that items included in a list in the form of “at least one of A, B, and C” can mean (A); (B); (C); (A and B); (B and C); (A 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); (B and C); (A and C); or (A, B, and C). Further, with respect to the claims, the use of words and phrases such as “a,” “an,” “at least one,” and/or “at least one portion” should not be interpreted so as to be limiting to only one such element unless specifically stated to the contrary, and the use of phrases such as “at least a portion” and/or “a portion” should be interpreted as encompassing both embodiments including only a portion of such element and embodiments including the entirety of such element unless specifically stated to the contrary.
The disclosed embodiments may, in some cases, be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. The disclosed embodiments may also be implemented as instructions carried by or stored on one or more transitory or non-transitory machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) storage media, which may be read and executed by one or more processors. A machine-readable storage medium may be embodied as any storage device, mechanism, or other physical structure for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a volatile or non-volatile memory, a media disc, or other media device).
While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only certain exemplary embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the inventions are desired to be protected.
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| 20190186170 A1 | Jun 2019 | US |
