Motorized trim

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11274470-B2
Application number	US-201916265116-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2019
Priority date	Feb 1, 2019
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

An exemplary trim assembly comprises a housing assembly, a cam rotatably mounted to the housing assembly, a lift finger slidably mounted in the housing assembly such that the cam is operable to linearly drive the lift finger between a deactuated position and an actuated position, and a locking mechanism operable to selectively retain the lift finger in the deactuated position. The locking mechanism includes an interface member engaged with the lift finger such that movement of the lift finger moves the interface member between a home position and an offset position, a blocking member operable to selectively prevent movement of the interface member from the home position, and a driver configured to move the blocking member between a blocking position and an unblocking position to thereby lock and unlock the trim assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A trim assembly, comprising:
a housing assembly;
a cam rotatably mounted to the housing assembly;
a lift finger slidably mounted in the housing assembly, wherein the lift finger is engaged with the cam such that the cam is operable to linearly drive the lift finger between a deactuated position and an actuated position;
an interface member pivotally mounted in the housing assembly, wherein the interface member is engaged with the lift finger such that movement of the lift finger between the deactuated position and the actuated position moves the interface member between a home position and an offset position;
a blocking member movably mounted in the housing assembly, the blocking member having a blocking position in which the blocking member retains the interface member in the home position to thereby retain the lift finger in the deactuated position, the blocking member having an unblocking position in which the blocking member permits movement of the interface member between the home position and the offset position to thereby permit movement of the lift finger between the deactuated position and the actuated position; and
an electrically-operable driver mounted in the housing and engaged with the blocking member, wherein the driver is configured to move the blocking member between the blocking position and the unblocking position to thereby lock and unlock the trim assembly.

2. The trim assembly of claim 1 , wherein the driver comprises an electric actuator and a spring engaged between the actuator and the blocking member, and wherein the actuator is configured to load the spring such that the spring urges the blocking member to move between the blocking position and the unblocking position.

3. The trim assembly of claim 2 , wherein the spring is a coil spring, wherein the trim assembly further comprises a projection extending into the coil spring such that the projection is received between coils of the coil spring, and wherein the projection is engaged with the blocking member to transmit forces between the coil spring and the blocking member.

4. The trim assembly of claim 3 , wherein the actuator is configured to load the coil spring by rotating the coil spring, thereby causing coils of the coil spring to engage the projection.

5. The trim assembly of claim 2 , wherein the actuator is a linear actuator and is configured to load the spring by exerting a linear force on the spring.

6. The trim assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a control assembly including a controller and an energy storage device, wherein the controller is operable to actuate the driver using electrical energy stored by the energy storage device.

7. The trim assembly of claim 6 , wherein the control assembly is operable to receive power from an external device, and wherein the control assembly is further configured to:
charge the energy storage device to a threshold charge using the power;
actuate the driver in a first manner to urge the blocking member to a first position; and
in response to power from the external device terminating, actuate the driver in a second manner to urge the blocking member to a second position; and
wherein the first position is one of the blocking position or the unblocking position, and wherein the second position is the other of the blocking position or the unblocking position.

8. The trim assembly of claim 1 , wherein the blocking member is pivotably mounted to the housing assembly.

9. The trim assembly of claim 1 , wherein the interface member is biased toward the home position.

10. The trim assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a projection operable to transmit forces between the blocking member and a coil spring of the driver;
wherein the projection is received between coils of the coil spring such that rotation of the coil spring urges the projection to drive the blocking member between the blocking position and the unblocking position; and
wherein the driver further comprises a rotary motor operable to rotate the coil spring.

11. The trim assembly of claim 10 , wherein the blocking member includes the projection.

12. The trim assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a link including the projection; and
wherein the link is engaged with the blocking member.

13. The trim assembly of claim 1 , wherein the interface member is configured to pivot between the home position and the offset position;
wherein the interface member includes a shoulder; and
wherein the blocking member engages the shoulder when in the blocking position and thereby prevents pivoting of the interface member to the offset position.

14. The trim assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a slider and a spring mechanism mounted to the slider; and
wherein the lift finger is engaged with the cam mechanism via the slider and the spring mechanism.

15. A trim assembly, comprising:
a housing assembly;
a cam rotatably mounted to the housing assembly;
a lift finger slidably mounted in the housing assembly, wherein the lift finger is engaged with the cam such that the cam is operable to linearly drive the lift finger between a deactuated position and an actuated position;
an interface member movably mounted in the housing assembly, wherein the interface member is engaged with the lift finger such that movement of the lift finger between the deactuated position and the actuated position moves the interface member between a home position and an offset position;
a blocking member movably mounted in the housing assembly, the blocking member having a blocking position in which the blocking member retains the interface member in the home position to thereby retain the lift finger in the deactuated position, the blocking member having an unblocking position in which the blocking member permits movement of the interface member between the home position and the offset position to thereby permit movement of the lift finger between the deactuated position and the actuated position;
an electrically-operable driver mounted in the housing and engaged with the blocking member, wherein the driver is configured to move the blocking member between the blocking position and the unblocking position to thereby lock and unlock the trim assembly; and
a control assembly including a controller and an energy storage device, wherein the controller is operable to actuate the driver using electrical energy stored by the energy storage device, and wherein the control assembly further comprises a switch operable to transition the control assembly between a first mode and a second mode;
wherein in the first mode, the driver is actuated in a first manner to urge the blocking member to a first position; and
wherein in the second mode, the driver is actuated in a second manner to urge the blocking member to a second position.

16. A trim assembly, comprising:
a housing assembly;
a cam rotatably mounted to the housing assembly;
a lift finger slidably mounted in the housing assembly, wherein the lift finger is engaged with the cam such that the cam is operable to linearly drive the lift finger between a deactuated position and an actuated position;
an interface member movably mounted in the housing assembly, wherein the interface member is engaged with the lift finger such that movement of the lift finger between the deactuated position and the actuated position moves the interface member between a home position and an offset position;
a blocking member movably mounted in the housing assembly, the blocking member having a blocking position in which the blocking member retains the interface member in the home

Assignees

• Schlage Lock Co Llc

Inventors

• Arlinghaus Paul R
• Lehner Jr Jack R
• Toloday David V
• Chandrasekhara Suresha
• Stalter John
• Austin Marlin

Classifications

• E05B2047/0072

  Operation · CPC title

• E05B2047/0058

  by batteries · CPC title

• E05B2047/0023

  Nuts or nut-like elements moving along a driven threaded axle · CPC title

• E05B2047/0016

  with linearly reciprocating motion · CPC title

• E05B2015/0496

  Springs actuated by cams or the like · CPC title