Automatic connecting system with heat-activated release
Assigneedormakaba USA Inc.
InventorsChad Hickman, Brendon Allen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A control module for a motorized door lock assembly includes a mounting bracket that is electrically connected to the door lock with wiping electrical terminals, and a housing with counterpart wiping electrical terminals that are electrically connected to a battery subassembly and an electric circuit. As a result, the battery subassembly and electric circuit can be quickly connected to the door lock merely by sliding the housing over the mounting bracket. Accordingly, the need for complicated and expensive connection systems is eliminated. Such an array of mutual wiping terminals also makes it possible to use the force of gravity to jettison the housing and its contents from the door lock in the event of a fire.
Claims19
An automatic-connecting system for a door lock assembly, comprising:
- a mounting bracket connected to the door lock assembly;
- wherein the mounting bracket includes a first plurality of wiping electrical terminals, at least one terminal of which is electrically connected to the door lock assembly;
- and further comprising:
- a housing connected to the mounting bracket;
- wherein the housing includes both a battery subassembly and an electrical circuit;
- the housing further includes a second plurality of wiping electrical terminals disposed in a planar array and operatively associated with the at least one of the battery subassembly and the electrical circuit;
- the first and second pluralities of wiping electrical terminals are configured for wiping contact when the housing is moved parallel to the mounting bracket, to electrically connect the at least one of the battery subassembly and the electric circuit with the door lock assembly;
- and
- wherein no other electrical connections are required between the housing and the mounting bracket to electrically connect the at least one of the battery subassembly and the electrical circuit with the door lock assembly.
A method of automatically and releasably connecting an electric circuit disposed in a housing with a motor of a door lock assembly disposed on a door, the door lock assembly including a mounting bracket, comprising:
- positioning the housing so that it is adjacent to the mounting bracket;
- moving the housing in a direction parallel to the mounting bracket so that respective terminals of a first plurality of wiping terminals disposed on the mounting bracket slide against respective terminals of a second plurality of wiping terminals disposed on the housing;
- wherein sliding together the first and second pluralities of wiping terminals activates an anti-tamper system;
- wherein at least one of the first plurality of wiping terminals is operatively associated with the motor;
- and
- wherein at least one of the second plurality of wiping terminals is operatively associated with the electrical circuit and further comprising:
- continuing to move the housing relative to the mounting bracket until a detent on one of the housing and the mounting bracket engages a detent-engaging portion on the other of the housing and the mounting bracket;
- wherein the electrical circuit is electrically connected to the motor.
A method of jettisoning a housing from a mounting bracket of a lock assembly disposed on a door, the housing attached to the mounting bracket, the housing including flammable items having respective ignition temperatures higher than the melting point of the housing, comprising:
- causing an element of the mounting bracket to melt an adjacent portion of the housing when the ambient temperature exceeds the melting point of the housing, so that the force of gravity then jettisons the housing from the mounting bracket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.