Privacy lock

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11530552-B2
Application number	US-202016996040-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2020
Priority date	Nov 3, 2015
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

A privacy lock assembly and method of operation are provided. The lock assembly has a push button offset from the central axis of the lock assembly for locking and unlocking the assembly. The lock assembly includes compression springs to maintain integrated handles in predetermined orientations when the handles are not subject to a load.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lock assembly comprising:
an exterior chassis configured to extend from an exterior of a door and including an exterior spring housing having exterior compression springs and an exterior handle;
an interior chassis configured to extend from an interior of the door and including an interior spring housing having interior compression springs and an interior handle;
a spindle extending between the exterior and interior chassis to translate a door latch; and
a locking mechanism including:
an interior insert coupled to the interior handle and mated with the spindle;
a locking piece that engages with a toggle offset from a central axis of the interior chassis to secure the lock assembly in a locked position, the locking piece coupled to the interior insert; and
an unlocking piece with a ramped segment and also coupled to the interior insert, wherein rotation of the interior handle corresponds to rotation of the interior insert and the unlocking piece, and wherein the ramped segment of the unlocking piece engages the toggle by a camming motion so that the toggle is translated out of engagement with the locking piece thereby allowing the locking piece to rotate with the spindle.

2. The lock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the interior insert is configured to rotate a predetermined distance before engaging with and rotating the spindle.

3. The lock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the exterior spring housing and the interior spring housing are configured to keep the exterior handle and the interior handle at predetermined orientations when no outside load is applied to the exterior and interior handles.

4. The lock assembly of claim 3 , further comprising an exterior insert connecting the exterior handle to the exterior spring housing and the interior insert connects the interior handle to the interior spring housing, and wherein application of an outside load results in rotation of the exterior or interior handle which generates a load in the interior and exterior spring housings to return the interior and exterior handles to the predetermined positions when the outside load is removed.

5. The lock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the toggle includes a toggle head and a toggle tail, wherein the toggle tail is configured to engage a keyed opening in the locking piece when in the locked position and the toggle head is configured to engage an external tool extending through an opening in the exterior chassis to translate the toggle and disengage the toggle tail from the locking piece from the exterior portion chassis.

6. The lock assembly of claim 5 , wherein the toggle head is further mounted into a body of a button that extends from an opening in the interior chassis, wherein the button is offset from a rotational axis of the spindle, wherein pushing and pulling load applications to the button result in engagement and disengagement of the toggle tail from the locking piece from the interior chassis.

7. A lock assembly comprising:
an exterior chassis configured to extend from an exterior of a door and including an exterior spring housing having exterior compression springs and an exterior handle;
an interior chassis configured to extend from an interior of the door and including an interior spring housing interior compression springs and an interior handle;
a spindle extending between the exterior and interior chassis to translate a door latch; and
a locking mechanism including:
an interior insert coupled to the interior handle and mated with the spindle;
a locking piece that is keyed to engage with a toggle offset from a central axis of the interior chassis to secure the lock assembly in a locked position, the locking piece coupled to the interior insert,
wherein the locking piece is keyed to receive a tail piece of the toggle,
wherein translation of the tail piece out of the keyed locking piece unlocks the lock assembly into an unlocked position, and
an unlocking piece having a ramped surface that rotatably engages with the toggle to translate the tail piece out of engagement with the locking piece, the unlocking piece coupled to the interior insert.

8. The lock assembly of claim 7 , wherein rotation of the interior handle corresponds to rotation of the interior insert and the unlocking piece thereby engaging the ramped surface with the toggle.

9. The lock assembly of claim 7 , wherein the toggle includes a head piece received in a button that is offset from a rotational axis of the spindle in the interior chassis, wherein push and pull loads applied to the button result in translation of the toggle between locked and unlocked positions.

10. The lock assembly of claim 9 , further comprising an opening in the exterior chassis that receives an elongate tool, wherein the opening is coaxial with a toggle head piece and the tool is configured to engage the toggle head piece and translate the tail piece out of engagement with the locking piece.

11. The lock assembly of claim 7 , wherein the interior compression springs in the interior spring housing are configured to be compressed by the interior insert and the exterior compression springs in the exterior spring housing are configured to be compressed by an exterior insert.

12. The lock assembly of claim 11 , wherein the interior insert is configured to engage and compress the interior compression springs in the interior spring housing in response to an applied rotational force.

13. The lock assembly of claim 12 , wherein the interior insert is configured to rotate when the rotational force is applied to the interior handle, and in response to release of the rotational force from the interior handle, the interior compression springs in the interior spring housing return the interior handle to a predetermined unloaded position.

14. The lock assembly of claim 11 , wherein the interior spring housing and the exterior spring housing maintain the interior and exterior handles at a predetermined orientation when no loads are applied to the interior and exterior handles.

15. A method of operating a door locking assembly in a door comprising:
providing a lock assembly having an interior chassis including interior compression springs and an interior handle, and an exterior chassis including exterior compression springs and an exterior handle, the interior chassis and the exterior chassis connected via a spindle which translates a latch bolt;
locking the door by pressing a lock actuator toggle, offset from an axis of rotation of the spindle, into a keyed opening of a locking piece in the interior chassis, wherein the interior chassis includes an interior insert that couples to the locking piece; and
unlocking the door by camming the toggle out of the keyed opening of the locking piece, wherein the camming includes rotating the interior handle coupled to the interior insert to rotate a ramped unlocking piece also coupled to the interior insert, wherein rotation of the ramped unlocking piece causes the ramped unlocking piece to engage an opening in the locking piece and translate the toggle out of the keyed opening of the locking piece.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein rotating the interior handle further engages and compresses the interior compression springs in an interior spring housing of the interior chassis, wherein the amount of compression is related to the amount of rotation.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising releasing the interior handle to release the interior compression springs, thereby returning the interior handle to a predetermined orientation.

Assignees

• Spectrum Brands Inc

Inventors

• Morse Thomas P
• Xin Eric
• Lin James

Classifications

• E05B3/065

  with spring biasing means for moving the handle over a substantial distance, e.g. to its horizontal position · CPC title

• E05B63/0069

  Override systems, e.g. allowing opening from inside without the key, even when locked from outside (E05B65/1086, E05B9/105 take precedence; by movable striker E05B63/246) · CPC title

• E05B63/0065

  Operating modes; Transformable to different operating modes · CPC title

• E05B13/004 Primary

  by locking the spindle, follower, or the like · CPC title

• Y10T292/82

  Knobs · CPC title