Door latch with delayed return mechanism
AssigneeAccurate Lock & Hardware Co. LLC
InventorFrancis Colligan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A delayed return mechanism, such as for a door latch, including a housing having a hole with an axis, a cavity in the housing at least partially filled with a fluid media, a hub disposed in the cavity including a spindle hole coaxial with the hole in the housing including teeth within the spindle hole to engage a spindle, the hub being rotatable about the axis and having a fin extending radially outward in the cavity, and a channel through which the fluid media passes during rotation of the hub to control flow of the fluid media about the cavity.
Claims25
A delayed return mechanism, comprising:
- a housing including a hole with an axis;
- a cavity in the housing at least partially filled with a fluid media;
- a hub disposed in said cavity including a spindle hole coaxial with the hole in said housing including teeth within the spindle hole adapted to engage a spindle, said hub being rotatable about the axis and having a fin extending radially outward in said cavity;
- and
- a channel through which the fluid media passes during rotation of said hub to control flow of the fluid media about said cavity.
A delayed return mechanism for a door latch, comprising:
- a housing including a hole with an axis;
- a cavity in the housing at least partially filled with a fluid media;
- a cover plate removably attached over said cavity;
- a hub disposed in said cavity including a spindle hole coaxial with the hole in said housing for receiving a spindle extending through the spindle hole and the hole in said housing, said hub being rotatable about the axis and having a fin including a rigid part extending radially outward in said cavity;
- an adjustment element adjustably restricting flow of the fluid media about said cavity, said adjustment element including an adjuster moveable into and out of an elongated channel via a hole extending through an exterior surface of said housing, the elongated channel extending from a first opening on a first side of said cavity to a second opening on a second side of said cavity;
- and
- a gasket in said housing at least partially circumscribing said cavity and the elongated channel.
A door latch for an architectural door, comprising:
- a latch housing including a front plate attachable to a door edge;
- a latch bolt at least partially slideable into and out of said latch housing through the front plate;
- a spindle for receiving a door handle;
- a retractor for actuating said latch bolt, said retractor including a retractor hub with a spindle hole;
- a damper including a housing including a cavity at least partially filled with a fluid media, a damper hub disposed in said cavity including a spindle hole coaxial with the spindle hole of the retractor hub, said hub having a fin extending radially outward in the cavity, and a restricting channel controlling flow of the fluid media about the cavity;
- and
- a spindle extending through said latch housing via the spindle holes of the retractor hub and the damper hub, rotation of said spindle causing rotation of the retractor hub and movement of said latch bolt, the movement of said latch bolt at least partially dampened by said damper.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.