Dogging security indicator for exit device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9945158-B2
Application number	US-201514614885-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2015
Priority date	Feb 5, 2015
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

An exit device having a dogging mechanism assembly for providing a visual indication of the state or position of at least certain components of the exit device, such as, for example, a latch, drive rod, and/or a hook bracket. The dogging mechanism assembly includes a displaceable arm actuator mechanism that is coupled to the hook bracket, the hook bracket being adapted to lockingly engage the drive rod. The actuator arm mechanism is adapted to displace an indicator mechanism at least from a first indicator position to a second indicator position as the actuator arm mechanism is displaced to at least one of a first position and a second position. The indicator mechanism has one or more indicators that provide a visual indication of a state or position of a component of the exit device when the indicator mechanism is in at least one of a first and second indicator position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for selectively restraining axial displacement of a drive rod to retain a position of a latch of an exit device, the apparatus comprising:
an arm actuator mechanism;
a hook bracket structured to be coupled to the arm actuator mechanism and to selectively lockingly engage the drive rod to prevent axial displacement of the drive rod;
an actuator coupled to the arm actuator mechanism and the hook bracket and configured to rotatably displace the arm actuator mechanism and the hook bracket; and
an indicator mechanism structured for engagement by the arm actuator mechanism, the engagement between the indicator mechanism and the arm actuator mechanism structured to displace the indicator mechanism from a first indicator position to a second indicator position as the arm actuator mechanism is displaced from a first position to a second position, the indicator mechanism having one or more indicators that indicate a state of the drive rod when the indicator mechanism is in at least one of the first and second indicator positions;
wherein the hook bracket is structured to be rotatably displaced with rotatable displacement of the arm actuator mechanism, and wherein the hook bracket is further structured to lockingly engage the drive rod when the arm actuator mechanism is in one of the first and second positions;
wherein the arm actuator mechanism includes a body portion and an arm portion, the body portion having an orifice, the arm portion extending from the body portion and adapted to engage the indicator mechanism;
wherein the hook bracket includes a bracket aperture; and
wherein the orifice and the bracket aperture are sized to receive insertion of a coupling to couple the arm actuator mechanism with the hook bracket.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the arm actuator mechanism is rotatably displaced between the first and second positions about an axis of rotation, and wherein the indicator mechanism is rotatably displaced between the first and second indicator positions about an indicator axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the indicator mechanism includes a biasing element structured to bias the indicator mechanism toward one of the first and second indicator positions.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein a portion of the actuator is adapted for engagement with a tool to facilitate rotation of the actuator to rotatably displace the arm actuator mechanism between the first and second positions and rotatably displace the hook bracket into locking engagement with the drive rod.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the body portion of the arm actuator mechanism includes at least a pair of projections adapted for engagement by a cam projection of the actuator, the cam projection adapted to engage first projection of the pair of projections to rotatably displace the arm actuator mechanism to the first position, the cam projection further adapted to engage a second projection of the pair of projections to rotatably displace the arm actuator mechanism to the second position.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the coupling has an orifice that is structured for a mating engagement with a second end of the actuator, a first end of the actuator having an orifice adapted for mating engagement with the tool.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , further including a housing secured to the indicator mechanism, the housing adapted to be both secured to a case cover of the exit device and positioned adjacent to an opening in the case cover, and wherein at least one of the one or more indicators of the indicator mechanism is positioned to be visually accessible through an opening in the case cover when the indicator mechanism is in at least one of the first and second indicator positions.

8. An apparatus for selectively restraining the axial displacement of a drive rod to retain a position of a latch of an exit device, the apparatus comprising:
an arm actuator mechanism, wherein the arm actuator mechanism includes a body portion having a first projection and a second projection, and wherein the arm actuator mechanism is operable to rotate between a first position and a second position;
an actuator including a cam mechanism and a cam projection extending from the cam mechanism, wherein the cam mechanism is configured for rotational displacement in response to actuation of the actuator to correspondingly rotate the cam projection, rotation of the cam projection adapted to engage the first projection to rotatably displace the arm actuator mechanism to the first position, rotation of the cam projection further adapted to engage the second projection to rotatably displace the arm actuator mechanism to the second position;
a hook bracket coupled to the arm actuator mechanism, the hook bracket having a retention member adapted to selectively lockingly engage the drive rod to prevent axial displacement of the drive rod, the hook bracket being rotatably displaced with the rotational displacement of the arm actuator mechanism; and
an indicator assembly having an indicator mechanism and a housing, the indicator mechanism coupled to the housing, at least a portion of the indicator mechanism being rotatable about at least a portion of the housing, the indicator mechanism displaced from a first indicator position to a second indicator position by the rotational displacement of the arm actuator mechanism from the first position to the second position, the indicator mechanism having one or more indicators that indicate a state of the latch when the indicator mechanism is in at least one of the first and second indicator positions.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the indicator mechanism includes an engagement member that extends from a rear side of the indicator mechanism and is engaged by an arm portion of the arm actuator mechanism to rotatably displace the indicator mechanism as the arm actuator mechanism is rotatably displaced to at least one of the first and second positions.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the housing is coupled to a cover case of the exit device, and wherein the one or more indicators are visible through a window in the case cover when the indicator mechanism is in at least one of the first and second indicator positions.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the one or more indicators is visually accessible through the window when the indicator mechanism is at the first indicator position, and wherein at least one other indicator of the one or more indicators is visually accessible through the window when the indicator mechanism is at the second indicator position.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the indicator assembly includes a biasing element that provides a biasing force to bias the indicator mechanism to one of the first and second indicator positions.

13. An exit device comprising:
a latch coupled to a drive rod, the latch being axially displaced between an extend position and a retracted position by displacement of the drive rod;
a dogging mechanism assembly having an actuator, an arm actuator mechanism, a hook bracket, and an indicator assembly, the arm actuator mechanism coupled to the hook bracket, the arm actuator mechanism and the hook bracket being rotatably displaceable between a first position and a second position by the actuator, the hook bracket adapted to lockingly engage the drive rod when the hook bracket is at the second position and the latch is at the retracted position, the arm actuator mechanism adapted to rotatably displace an indicator mechanism of the indicator assembly from a first indicator position to a second indicator position as the arm actuator mechanis

Assignees

• Lehner Jr Jack R
• Ainza Linda
• Williams Ryan
• Schlage Lock Co Llc

Inventors

• Lehner Jr Jack R
• Ainza Linda
• Williams Ryan

Classifications

• Y10T292/0908

  Emergency operating means · CPC title

• E05B65/1046

  Panic bars · CPC title

• Y10T70/8135

  With register · CPC title

• Y10T70/8027

  Condition indicators · CPC title

• Y10T70/7407

  Operating indicators · CPC title