Lock mechanism with egress release

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9611672-B2
Application number	US-201414325283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2014
Priority date	Jul 5, 2013
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

An exemplary lock includes an outer spindle, a center spindle, and a lock control assembly selectively coupling the outer and center spindles. In one embodiment, the lock control assembly includes a cam coupled to the center spindle, a locking bar slidingly coupled to the outer spindle, a cam follower positioned between the locking bar and the cam, and a biasing element urging the locking bar into engagement with the cam follower. Engagement between the cam and the cam follower may be configured to move the cam follower longitudinally in response to relative rotation between the cam and the cam follower.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a center spindle extending along a longitudinal axis in a proximal direction and a distal direction, the center spindle comprising a cup including a longitudinal center spindle slot;
an outer spindle comprising a longitudinal outer spindle slot; and
a lock control assembly configured to selectively couple the center spindle and the outer spindle, the lock control assembly comprising:
a cam positioned in the cup and rotationally coupled to the center spindle, a proximal side of the cam including a cam surface comprising a cam surface proximal level and a cam surface ramp extending distally from the cam surface proximal level;
a driver bar extending through the center spindle and the cam, wherein the driver bar is rotatable with respect to the center spindle and the cam;
a cam follower rotationally coupled with the driver bar and longitudinally movable with respect to the driver bar, a distal side of the cam follower including a follower surface engaged with the cam surface, the follower surface including a follower surface distal level and a follower surface ramp extending proximally from the follower surface distal level;
a locking bar positioned adjacent a proximal side of the cam follower, the locking bar including an arm extending through the outer spindle slot, wherein the locking bar is longitudinally movable along the outer spindle slot between an unlocking position in which the arm is received in the center spindle slot and a locking position in which the arm is not received in the center spindle slot; and
a biasing element distally urging the locking bar into contact with the proximal side of the cam follower;

wherein the lock control assembly is operable in a locking state and an unlocking state;
wherein, in the locking state, the follower surface distal level is in contact with the cam surface proximal level, the locking bar is in the locking position, and the outer spindle is rotationally decoupled from the center spindle;
wherein, in the unlocking state, the follower surface distal level is positioned distally of the cam surface proximal level, the follower surface ramp is positioned adjacent the cam surface ramp, the locking bar is in the unlocking position, and the outer spindle is rotationally coupled with the center spindle;
wherein the proximal side of the cam follower includes a positioning surface comprising a positioning surface proximal level and a positioning surface ramp extending distally from the positioning surface proximal level;
wherein the cam follower further comprises a proximally extending stop positioned adjacent the positioning surface proximal level; and
wherein, in the locking state, the locking bar is positioned in contact with the positioning surface proximal level, and the stop is positioned adjacent the arm.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the positioning surface further comprises a positioning surface distal level;
wherein the positioning surface ramp extends proximally from the positioning surface distal level; and
wherein, in the unlocking state, the locking bar is in contact with the positioning surface distal level.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cam surface further comprises a cam surface distal level, the cam surface ramp extending proximally from the cam surface distal level; and
wherein, in the unlocking state, the cam surface distal level is positioned in contact with the follower surface distal level.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the cam further comprises a stop wall extending proximally from the cam surface proximal level;
wherein the cam follower further comprises a limit stop extending proximally from the follower surface ramp; and
wherein, in the locking state, the stop wall is positioned adjacent the limit stop.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the cam follower further comprises a follower surface proximal level connected to the limit stop; and
wherein the follower surface further comprises a secondary follower surface ramp extending proximally from the follower surface proximal level.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein each of the stop wall and the limit stop is arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein each of the cam surface distal level, the cam surface proximal level, and the follower surface distal level is arranged substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein each of the cam surface ramp and the follower surface ramp is offset from the longitudinal axis by an oblique angle.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the cam further comprises a second stop wall extending proximally from the cam surface distal level;
wherein the cam follower further comprises a second limit stop extending proximally from the follower surface distal level; and
wherein, in the unlocking state, the second stop wall is positioned adjacent the second limit stop.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cam is separable from the center spindle.

9. An apparatus, comprising:
a center spindle extending along a longitudinal axis in a proximal direction and a distal direction, the center spindle comprising a cup including a longitudinal center spindle slot;
an outer spindle comprising a longitudinal outer spindle slot; and
a lock control assembly configured to selectively couple the center spindle and the outer spindle, the lock control assembly comprising:
a cam positioned in the cup and rotationally coupled to the center spindle, a proximal side of the cam including a cam surface comprising a cam surface proximal level and a cam surface ramp extending distally from the cam surface proximal level;
a driver bar extending through the center spindle and the cam, wherein the driver bar is rotatable with respect to the center spindle and the cam;
a cam follower rotationally coupled with the driver bar and longitudinally movable with respect to the driver bar, a distal side of the cam follower including a follower surface engaged with the cam surface, the follower surface including a follower surface distal level and a follower surface ramp extending proximally from the follower surface distal level;
a locking bar positioned adjacent a proximal side of the cam follower, the locking bar including an arm extending through the outer spindle slot, wherein the locking bar is longitudinally movable along the outer spindle slot between an unlocking position in which the arm is received in the center spindle slot and a locking position in which the arm is not received in the center spindle slot; and
a biasing element distally urging the locking bar into contact with the proximal side of the cam follower;

wherein the lock control assembly is operable in a locking state and an unlocking state;
wherein, in the locking state, the follower surface distal level is in contact with the cam surface proximal level, the locking bar is in the locking position, and the outer spindle is rotationally decoupled from the center spindle;
wherein, in the unlocking state, the follower surface distal level is positioned distally of the cam surface proximal level, the follower surface ramp is positioned adjacent the cam surface ramp, the locking bar is in the unlocking position, and the outer spindle is rotationally coupled with the center spindle; and
wherein the lock control assembly further comprises:
a detent cam positioned adjacent a proximal side of the locking bar, the detent cam including a detent cam slot, a ridge, and a notch formed in the ridge; and
a second biasing element distally urging the detent cam into contact with the locking bar; and
wherein the driver bar extends through the detent cam slot.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , where

Assignees

• Schlage Lock Co Llc

Inventors

• Murphy Nathanael Silas

Classifications

• E05B3/00

  Fastening {knobs or} handles to lock or latch parts {(E05B79/06 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E05B13/004

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

• Y10T292/82

  Knobs · CPC title

• Y10S292/37

  Push button operators · CPC title

• E05B13/101

  for disconnecting the handle (E05B13/103, E05B13/105 take precedence) · CPC title