Adjustable Rod Guide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016244993-A1
Application number	US-201615050282-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 22, 2016
Priority date	Feb 23, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a rod guide for mounting a latch rod to an enclosure. A guide member can include a guide-member support surface and a guide opening to receive the latch rod. A base member can include a base-member support surface. The base member can support the guide member with the guide opening at different distances from the surface of the enclosure when the guide-member support surface is seated on the base-member support surface with the guide member disposed at different respective rotational orientations relative to the base member.

First claim

1 . A rod guide for mounting a latch rod relative to an enclosure, the rod guide comprising:
a guide member including a guide-member helical surface and a guide opening to receive the latch rod; a base member configured to attach to a surface of the enclosure, the base member including a base-member helical surface; the base member supporting the guide member with the guide opening disposed at different distances from the surface of the enclosure when the guide-member helical surface is seated on the base-member helical surface with the guide member disposed at different respective rotational orientations relative to the base member.

2 . The rod guide of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first at least one engagement feature disposed along one of the guide-member helical surface and the base-member helical surface; and a second at least one engagement feature disposed along a different one of the guide-member helical surface and the base-member helical surface; wherein, with guide-member helical surface seated on the base-member helical surface and with the base member attached to the surface of the enclosure, the first at least one engagement feature engages the second at least one engagement feature to secure the guide-member at a first rotational orientation relative to the base member and to secure the guide opening at a first distance from the surface of the enclosure.

3 . The rod guide of claim 2 , wherein the first at least one engagement feature includes a protrusion extending out of the one of the guide-member helical surface and the base-member helical surface;
wherein the second at least one engagement feature includes a first recess extending into the different one of the guide-member helical surface and the base-member helical surface; and wherein the first at least one engagement feature engages the second at least one engagement feature via the protrusion extending into the first recess.

4 . The rod guide of claim 3 , wherein, with the protrusion extending into the first recess, a free end of the protrusion is spaced apart from an inner end of the first recess.

5 . The rod guide of claim 3 , wherein the second at least one engagement feature further includes a second recess extending into the different one of the guide-member helical surface and the base-member helical surface;
wherein, with the guide-member helical surface seated on the base-member helical surface and with the base member attached to the surface of the enclosure, the protrusion extends into the second recess to secure the guide-member at a second rotational orientation relative to the base member and to secure the guide opening at a second distance from the surface of the enclosure.

6 . The rod guide of claim 1 , wherein, with the base member attached to the surface of the enclosure and with the guide-member helical surface seated on the base-member helical surface, the guide member and the base member are collectively rotatable relative to the surface of the enclosure.

7 . The rod guide of claim 6 , wherein the base member includes a base-member mounting bore;
wherein the guide member includes a guide-member mounting bore and a fastener seat; and wherein the base member is secured to the guide member via a first fastener extending through the surface of the enclosure, the base-member mounting bore, and the guide-member mounting bore to engage a second fastener that is seated in the fastener seat.

8 . The rod guide of claim 1 , wherein the guide-member helical surface is a first guide-member helical surface and the guide member further includes a second guide-member helical surface;
wherein the base-member helical surface is a first base-member helical surface and the base member further includes a second base-member helical surface; and wherein, with the guide member disposed at the different respective rotational orientations relative to the base member, the base member further supports the guide member with the guide opening disposed at the different distances from the surface of the enclosure via the second guide-member helical surface being seated on the second base-member helical surface.

9 . The rod guide of claim 8 , wherein the first guide-member helical surface is disposed radially outwardly from the second guide-member helical surface; and
wherein the first base-member helical surface is disposed radially outwardly from the second base-member helical surface.

10 . The rod guide of claim 9 , further comprising:
a first at least one engagement feature disposed along one of the first guide-member helical surface and the first base-member helical surface; and a second at least one engagement feature disposed along a different one of the first guide-member helical surface and the first base-member helical surface; wherein, with guide-member helical surface seated on the base-member helical surface and with the base member attached to the surface of the enclosure, the first at least one engagement feature engages the second at least one engagement feature to secure the guide-member at a first rotational orientation relative to the base member and to secure the guide opening at a first distance from the surface of the enclosure.

11 . The rod guide of claim 1 wherein the guide member includes a first at least one engagement feature disposed at least partly radially inwardly from the guide-member helical surface;
wherein the base member includes a second at least one engagement feature disposed at least partly radially inwardly from the base-member helical surface; and
wherein, with guide-member helical surface seated on the base-member helical surface and with the base member attached to the surface of the enclosure, the first at least one engagement feature engages the second at least one engagement feature to secure the guide-member at a first rotational orientation relative to the base member and to secure the guide opening at a first distance from the surface of the enclosure.

12 . The rod guide of claim 1 , wherein the rod guide opening includes a rod-guide passage with a first open end and a second open end; and
wherein a first cross-sectional area of the rod-guide passage at a region between the first open end and the second open end is smaller than a second cross-sectional area of the rod-guide passage at at least one of the first open end and the second open end.

13 . The rod guide of claim 12 , wherein the rod-guide passage includes a first side wall and a second side wall; and
wherein at least one of the first side wall and the second side wall tapers inwards between the at least one of the first open end and the second open end and the region between the first open end and the second open end.

14 . A latching system for a door of an enclosure, the latching system comprising:
a guide member including a guide-member support surface and a guide opening; a latch rod received in the guide opening; a base member configured to rotatably attach to an interior surface of the door, the base member including a base-member support surface; the base member supporting the guide member with the guide opening disposed at different distances from the interior surface of the door when the guide-member support surface is seated on the base-member support surface with the guide member disposed at different respective rotational orientations relative to the base member; the latch rod being disposed at different respective operational distances from the interior surface of the door when the guide opening is disposed at the different distances from the interior surface of the door; and the guide member and the base memb

Assignees

• Hoffman Enclosures Inc

Inventors

• Nepsha William J
• Larson Bruce W

Classifications

• E05C9/043

  with crank pins and connecting rods · CPC title

• Y10S292/51

  Bolt guides · CPC title

• E05B15/00 Primary

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

• E05C1/08

  with latching action · CPC title

• E05C9/22

  Guides for sliding bars, rods or cables · CPC title