Privacy Lock

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017122002-A1
Application number	US-201615333662-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 25, 2016
Priority date	Nov 3, 2015
Publication date	May 4, 2017
Grant date	—

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

1 . A lock assembly comprising:
a chassis including an exterior and interior portion configured to extend from an exterior and interior of a door and a spindle extending between the exterior and interior portion to translate a door latch; an exterior spring housing and an interior spring housing coupled to the respective exterior and interior portions of the chassis, the exterior spring housing and interior spring housing each having compression springs; a locking mechanism having a locking piece that engages with a toggle offset from a central axis of the chassis to secure the lock assembly in a locked position; and means for unlocking the lock assembly from the interior portion 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 locking assembly of claim 1 , wherein the means for unlocking the lock assembly includes an unlocking piece with a ramped segment and an interior insert coupled to an interior handle and the unlocking piece;
wherein rotation of the interior handle corresponds to rotation of the interior insert and unlocking piece, and the ramped segment of the interior insert engages the toggle thereby translating the toggle out of engagement with the locking piece.

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

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

5 . The lock assembly of claim 4 , further comprising an exterior insert connecting the exterior handle to the exterior spring housing and an interior insert connecting 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.

6 . The locking 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 portion of the chassis to translate the toggle and disengage the toggle tail from the locking piece from the exterior portion.

7 . The locking assembly of claim 6 wherein the toggle head is further mounted into a body of a button that extends from an opening in the interior portion of the chassis, wherein the button is offset from the 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 portion.

8 . A lock assembly comprising:
a chassis including an exterior and interior portion configured to extend from an exterior and interior of a door and a spindle extending between the exterior and interior portion to translate a door latch; an exterior spring housing and an interior spring housing coupled to the respective exterior and interior portions of the chassis, the interior spring housing and the exterior housing each comprising compression springs; a locking mechanism having a locking piece that is keyed to engage with a toggle offset from a central axis of the chassis to secure the lock assembly in a locked position; and 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.

9 . The lock assembly of claim 8 , further comprising 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.

10 . The lock assembly of claim 9 , further comprising an interior insert connecting an interior handle to the unlocking piece; wherein rotation of the interior handle corresponds to rotation of the interior insert and unlocking piece thereby engaging the ramped surface with the toggle.

11 . The lock assembly of claim 8 , wherein the toggle includes a head piece received in a button that is offset from a rotational axis of the spindle in the interior portion of the chassis, wherein push and pull loads applied to the button result in translation of the toggle between locked and unlocked positions.

12 . The lock assembly of claim 8 , further comprising an opening in the external portion of the chassis that receives an elongate tool, wherein the opening is coaxial with the 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.

13 . The lock assembly of claim 8 , wherein the springs in the interior spring housing are configured to be compressed by an interior insert and the springs in the exterior spring housing are configured to be compressed by an exterior insert.

14 . The lock assembly of claim 13 , wherein the interior insert is configured to engage and compress the compression springs in the interior spring housing in response to an applied rotational force.

15 . The lock assembly of claim 14 , wherein the interior insert is configured to rotate when the rotational force is applied to an interior handle, and in response to release of the rotational force from the interior handle, the compressed springs in the interior spring housing return the interior handle to a predetermined unloaded position.

16 . The lock assembly of claim 13 , wherein the interior spring housing and exterior spring housing maintain interior and exterior handles at a predetermined orientation when no loads are applied to the handles.

17 . A method of operating a door locking assembly in a door comprising:
providing a lock assembly chassis having an interior portion including compression springs and an exterior portion including compression springs, the interior portion and exterior portion 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 portion of the chassis; and unlocking the door by camming the toggle out of the keyed opening of a locking piece.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the camming includes rotating an interior handle to rotate a ramped unlocking piece, 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.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein rotating the interior handle further engages and compresses the springs in an interior spring housing of the interior portion of the chassis, wherein the amount of compression is related to the amount of rotation.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising releasing the interior handle to release the compressed springs, thereby returning the interior handle to a predetermined orientation.

Assignees

• Spectrum Brands Inc

Inventors

• Morse Thomas P
• Xin Eric
• Lin James

Classifications

• Y10T292/96

  Latch-spindle catches · CPC title

• E05B55/005

  Cylindrical or tubular locks · 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

• E05C1/163

  Cylindrical or tubular latches · CPC title

• E05B3/065

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