Patent Application
20240076901
The present disclosure relates generally to door locks and in particular to door locks with air channel ventilation.
Aspects described herein relate to improvements in door locks. Door lock assemblies typically include an exterior lock configured to be mounted on the outside or unsecured side of the door; an interior lock configured to be mounted to an inside of a door; and a dead bolt and/or latch assembly, depending on application, mounted to the door. Within the latch or deadbolt, a sliding member can traverse within the door and extend therefrom so that it may partially enter the door jamb to prevent the door from opening. The exterior lock of the lock assembly may contain key openings, touchpads, and/or other interface for a user to present a key, passcode, or any other credential to unlock the lock.
According to one aspect, a door lock assembly is provided. The door lock assembly includes an exterior lock configured to be mounted on an outside of a door panel, an interior lock configured to be mounted on an inside of a door panel and configured to function cooperatively with the exterior lock and, a flow passage disposed between the interior lock and the inside of the door panel or an exterior lock and the outside of the door panel. The flow passage is configured to vent a space bounded by the door panel, the interior lock and the exterior lock.
According to another aspect, a mount for a door lock is provided. The mount comprises a mounting bracket configured to sit on a surface of a door panel and further configured to hold a door lock to the surface of the door panel and one or more depressed channels disposed along a door-facing side of the bracket. The door-facing side of the bracket is configured to contact a portion of the surface of the door panel. The depressed channels are configured to allow the movement of air between the surface of door panel and the door-facing side of a door lock, thereby reducing an infiltration of air into the lock from the door-facing side.
According to yet another aspect, a door is provided. The door comprises a door panel configured to enclose a doorway of a secured space from an unsecured space, an interior side of the door facing the secured space, and an exterior side of the door facing the unsecured space. A bore hole is provided in the door panel between the interior side of the door and the exterior side of the door. A lock is configured to mount to the door panel over the bore hole on the interior side of the door or the exterior side of the door. At least one air channel is disposed between the lock and an adjacent surface of the door panel. The air channel is configured to allow air to flow between the bore hole and an environment surrounding the lock.
It should be appreciated that the foregoing concepts, and additional concepts discussed below, may be arranged in any suitable combination, as the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. Further, other advantages and novel features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of various nonlimiting embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by a like reference character. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, with emphasis instead being placed on illustrating various aspects of the techniques and devices described herein. In the drawings:
Door lock assemblies typically include an exterior lock configured to be mounted on the outside of a door; an interior lock configured to be mounted on the inside of the same door. The exterior lock is often exposed to ambient outdoor weather conditions including temperature and humidity. The interior lock is typically at or near the interior temperature of the locked space, which may be air-conditioned or climate controlled in many applications. The difference in temperature between the interior and exterior locks creates an opportunity for condensation to form in the lock located on the “cool” side of the door. In many cases, the condensation forms within the interior portion of the lock. The Inventors have recognized solutions to the problem of condensation forming within the enclosure or “cabinet” of a door lock.
Aspects described herein relate to improvements in door lock assemblies by including air channels in the door lock assembly for the purpose of reducing the formation of condensation within a lock and reducing lock assembly failures caused thereby. Air channels that form passages for fluid flow are included within a lock assembly to ventilate the space between a door lock and a door panel. Flow passages formed by the air channels allow humid air to escape through the channels to reduce or prevent infiltration into the lock. The flow passages may additionally allow for the drainage of condensed water or to convey a supply of non-saturated air to aid the re-evaporation of condensate.
In many embodiments, a door lock is fastened to a door panel over a bore hole running through the door. The interior lock is located over the bore hole on the interior side. The exterior lock is located over the bore hole on the exterior side. The interior and the exterior locks may enter the bore hole either separately or together. The interior and exterior locks may be configured to fasten together by one or more screws or bolts clamping the door therebetween and securing the lock. The screws or bolts are fastened from the interior lock to the exterior lock such that an intruder could not easily disassemble or break the enclosure of the exterior lock to access the heads of the fasteners and remove the lock. In a conventional lock, the volume of air existing within the bore hole is typically ventilated only by leakage paths existing between the door and the lock, between the door and the deadbolt, or within the lock itself.
The interior lock of the lock assembly includes a mounting bracket that receives the screws or bolts previously described. The mounting bracket is secured over the door bore hole thereby such the mounting bracket secures the lock to the door on the interior side. Other components of the interior lock are then fastened to the mounting bracket directly or through intermediate components themselves fastened to the mounting bracket.
The exterior lock may contain key openings (key holes), touchpads, and/or other interfaces for a user to present a key, passcode, or any other credential to cause the lock to operate. Openings such as key openings may allow outside air to enter the exterior lock. Once inside the exterior lock enclosure, the air may pass into the door bore hole and enter the interior lock from the door side. When the temperature and humidity are higher on the exterior side of the door, the flow path previously described may lead to condensation forming inside of the interior lock. Moisture from condensation may result in corrosion to components within the lock. Furthermore, in electronically operated locks, the electronics controlling the lock assembly are often located within the interior lock. Moisture from condensation may result in degradation to electronic components including circuit boards, battery terminals and connectors and may additionally lead to current leakage or “short circuits” that could impede the operation of the lock assembly.
The inventors have recognized that many door lock installations do not seal the space within the door bore hole or between the door bore and the interior portion of the lock. Sealing the interior lock from the door bore or exterior portion would require sealing around one or more screws or bolts that hold the lock assembly together, sealing a shaft or mechanical connection between the exterior and exterior locks and often sealing around wired connections between the interior and exterior locks. Including seals would increase the cost of the lock and may require specialized installation techniques that could prevent a user from being able to install lock assemblies in the field. The seal could wear in service and present a weakness to the reliability of the lock assembly. Furthermore, a seal may not be suitable for all types of door into which a lock may be installed, for instance doors made of porous materials (such as wood) or doors with certain surface textures may negate the effectiveness of a seal. The air channels disclosed herein do not require seals or gaskets between locks or between a lock and a door.
The inventors have recognized improvements to door locks to reduce the likelihood of condensation related lock failures. Embodiments disclosed herein relate to improvements in ventilation and mounting of the lock assembly. For example, in one embodiment air channels are included in the mounting bracket to reduce the likelihood of air passing between the door bore hole and the interior lock. Other embodiments include openings in the lock cover to enhance ventilation. Without wishing to be bound by theory, the air channel provides a flow path that is less tortuous than the leakage paths existing within a sealed or unsealed lock assembly, therefore a significant majority of air escaping from the door bore hole will escape via the air channel and only a small portion, if any, will leak into the lock and potentially condense.
Turning to the figures, specific non-limiting embodiments are described in further detail. It should be understood that the various systems, components, features, and methods described relative to these embodiments may be used either individually and/or in any desired combination as the disclosure is not limited to only the specific embodiments described herein.
In other embodiments, more or fewer air channels may be included on the mounting bracket including channels extending radially from the door bore boss. In some embodiments the entire region around the door bore boss may serve as an air channel, the mounting bracket being held off from the door by feet or standoffs which comprise a small fraction of the surface area of the mounting bracket. Although a stamped steel construction is employed in the three illustrated embodiments, other construction methods are contemplated including machined mounting brackets, cast metal mounting brackets, molded polymer or reinforced polymer mounting brackets, and mounting brackets where the air channels are a formed of initially separate pieces that are bonded or fastened to the mounting bracket.
While the embodiments illustrated are configured to reduce condensation within the interior lock, the inventors recognize that aspects disclosed herein could also be used to reduce condensation within the exterior lock. This could be done to reduce condensation or icing when the lock is to be used in a cold climate. Additionally, the aspects disclosed herein could be useful for preventing condensation in the exterior lock where the interior lock is in a warm humid environment such as a sauna, indoor swimming pool room, or greenhouse. If the intended use is to prevent condensation on the exterior side, the air channels could be formed in a door-facing rear cover of the exterior lock.
The channels do not need to be disposed on a mounting bracket or structural member of the lock. In some embodiments, the air channels can be made as a separate component that may be included between the lock and the exterior or interior surface of a door panel. The air channels may be constructed of metal, polymer, elastomer, composite or other suitable materials. As a separate piece, the air channels may be formed into a decorative cover or escutcheon. A decorative cover or escutcheon with air channels may have additional purposes such as be used to cover abandoned holes left in an old door when a new lock assembly is installed. In other embodiments, the air channel could be formed to extend below the surface of the door and may be located on or within the door panel.
In the embodiments previously described, air channels may be provided without including a watertight seal between the interior lock and the door/bore hole or between the door/bore hole and the exterior lock. In other embodiments, the air channels could be implemented in addition with seals or gaskets. Seals may be implemented between the door bore and any part of the lock assembly and also between the door surface and any portion of the lock assembly that does not include air channels.
In embodiments where the air channel is formed as a separate component, seals or gaskets may be incorporated into the air channel component. In other embodiments where the air channels are incorporated into the mounting bracket, seals or gaskets may be incorporated with the mounting bracket and may include sealing surfaces between the mounting bracket and the lock. Gaskets may be used separately or in combination with seals around shafts, fasteners, and wires that may exist on the door-facing side of the lock.
Where used, the term “interior” should be interpreted to mean on the side of or toward the secured space. The term “exterior” should be interpreted as on the side of or toward the unsecured space. The term “panel” in the context of a “door panel” should be interpreted to mean the entire door exclusive of the lock assembly and mounting hardware. A door panel should not be interpreted as being limited to doors of unitary construction. The door panel should be interpreted to include the stiles and the rails of a door so constructed.
Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements.
Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.
Some actions are described as taken by a “user” it should be appreciated that a “user” need not be a single individual and that in some embodiments actions attributable to a “user” may be performed by a team of individuals and/or an individual in combination with computer-assisted tools or other mechanisms.
While the present teachings have been described in conjunction with various embodiments and examples, it is not intended that the present teachings be limited to such embodiments or examples. On the contrary, the present teachings encompass various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/404,084, titled SMART DOOR LOCK INTEGRATED AIR CHANNEL TO MOUNTING BRACKET FOR VENTILATION,” filed Sep. 6, 2022, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63404084 | Sep 2022 | US |
