Status-indicating cylindrical lock assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11965361-B2
Application number	US-202016990474-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2020
Priority date	May 2, 2014
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

An exemplary status-indicating locking assembly includes a cylindrical lock assembly and a status-indicating assembly. The status-indicating assembly includes a sensor configured to sense the status of the cylindrical lock assembly, a transmission configured to communicate the lock status to at least one side of a door, and an indicator configured to display indicia relating to the lock status on the at least one side of the door. In certain forms, the sensor, transmission, and indicator may be electronic, mechanical, hydraulic, magnetic, or combinations thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lock assembly, comprising:
a lock control assembly having a locking state and an unlocking state; and
a status-indicating assembly configured to visually indicate a status of the lock assembly without being acted on by a user, the status-indicating assembly comprising:
a sensor associated with the lock control assembly, the sensor having a lock-indicating state when the lock control assembly is in the locking state and an unlock-indicating state when the lock control assembly is in the unlocking state;
an indicator mounted for pivotal movement about a pivot axis, the indicator comprising a first indicium that is offset from the pivot axis by a first offset distance; and
a transmission connected between the sensor and the indicator, wherein the transmission is engaged with the indicator at an engagement point that is offset from the pivot axis by a second offset distance less than the first offset distance;

wherein the indicator is configured to display a first indicia when the sensor is in the lock-indicating state and to display a second indicia when the sensor is in the unlock-indicating state.

2. The lock assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a bolt having an extended position and a retracted position; and
a manual actuator operably connected with the bolt;
wherein the lock control assembly is configured to prevent the manual actuator from retracting the bolt when the lock control assembly is in the locking state; and
wherein the lock control assembly is configured to permit the manual actuator to retract the bolt when the lock control assembly is in the unlocking state.

3. The lock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the status-indicating assembly further comprises a transmission connected between the sensor and the indicator and configured to communicate the state of the sensor to the indicator.

4. The lock assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a mounting assembly configured for mounting to a face of a door, the mounting assembly including a spring cage defining a boundary between an inner region and an outer region;
wherein the indicator is positioned in the outer region; and
wherein the transmission extends between the inner region and the outer region through an opening in the mounting assembly.

5. The lock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the indicator is configured to display the first indicia and/or the second indicia such that the first indicia and/or the second indicia is visible throughout a viewing angle of 180 degrees.

6. The lock assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a lock operator operable to transition the lock control assembly between the locking state and the unlocking state.

7. The lock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lock control assembly comprises a movable component having a first position in the locking state and a second position in the unlocking state; and
wherein the sensor is associated with the movable component such that movement of the movable component between the first position and the second position transitions the sensor between the lock-indicating state and the unlock-indicating state.

8. A lockset, comprising:
a lock control assembly having a first control state and a second control state, wherein one of the first and second control states is an unlocked state, and the other of the first and second control states is a locked state;
a lock operator operable to transition the lock control assembly between the first control state and the second control state; and
a status-indicating assembly, comprising:
a sensor having a first sensor state in response to the first control state and a second sensor state in response to the second control state;
an indicator mounted for pivotal movement about a pivot axis, the indicator comprising a first indicium and a second indicium; and
a transmission connected between the sensor and the indicator, wherein the transmission is engaged with the indicator at an engagement point;
wherein the indicator is configured to display the first indicium in response to the first sensor state;
wherein the indicator is configured to display the second indicium in response to the second sensor state; and
wherein a first offset distance between the pivot axis and the first indicium is greater than a second offset distance between the pivot axis and the engagement point.

9. The lockset of claim 8 , wherein the status-indicating assembly further comprises a transmission operably connected between the sensor and the indicator; and wherein the transmission is configured to cause the indicator to display the first indicia in response to the first sensor state, and to cause the indicator to display the second indicia in response to the second sensor state.

10. The lockset of claim 8 , wherein the indicator is configured to display the first indicia and/or the second indicia such that the first indicia and/or the second indicia is visible throughout a viewing angle of 180 degrees.

11. The lockset of claim 8 , further comprising:
a bolt having an extended position and a retracted position; and
a manual actuator operably connected with the bolt;
wherein the lock control assembly is configured to prevent the manual actuator from retracting the bolt when the lock control assembly is in the locked state; and
wherein the lock control assembly is configured to permit the manual actuator to retract the bolt when the lock control assembly is in the unlocked state.

12. The lockset of claim 8 , further comprising:
a chassis;
a drive tube rotatably mounted to the chassis;
a slide slidably mounted in the chassis and engaged with the drive tube, wherein the slide is configured to move transversely in response to rotation of the drive tube; and
an actuator connected with the drive tube via the lock control assembly;
wherein, the actuator is operable to rotate the drive tube when the lock control assembly is in the unlocked state; and
wherein the actuator is inoperable to rotate the drive tube when the lock control assembly is in the locked state.

13. The lockset of claim 12 , wherein the chassis is configured to be mounted in a standard circular cross-bore of a commercially-available door.

14. The lockset of claim 8 , wherein the lock control assembly comprises a movable component having a first position in the first control state and a second position in the second control state; and
wherein the sensor is associated with the movable component such that movement of the movable component between the first position and the second position transitions the sensor between the first sensor state and the second sensor state.

15. The lockset of claim 8 , wherein the sensor comprises means for sensing the state of the lock control assembly; and
wherein the indicator comprises means for selectively displaying the first and second indicia.

16. The lockset of claim 8 , wherein the transmission is mounted for movement in a direction transverse to the pivot axis.

17. The lock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the transmission is mounted for movement in a direction transverse to the pivot axis.

Assignees

• Schlage Lock Co Llc

Inventors

• Gopalakrishnan Subbiah
• David Kevin E
• Barker Kenton H
• Bieker Shell
• Compton Daniel J
• Robinson Brandon
• Solanki Snehill
• Hebner Greg
• Massey Bill
• Tamer Samir

Classifications

• E05B55/005 Primary

  Cylindrical or tubular locks · CPC title

• E05B15/00

  Other details of locks; Parts for engagement by bolts of fastening devices · CPC title

• E05B27/0003

  Details · CPC title

• E05B41/00

  Locks with visible indication as to whether the lock is locked or unlocked {(indicator lights E05B17/10)} · CPC title

• E05B63/06

  with lengthwise-adjustable bolts {; with adjustable backset, i.e. distance from door edge} · CPC title