Surface vertical rod exit device

A door comprising:

• a door panel including a top end and a bottom end;
• and
• a surface vertical rod exit device mounted to the door panel, the surface vertical rod exit device including:
• an upper latch mounted to the door panel in proximity to the top end thereof, the upper latch including an upper latch head movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, the upper latch head configured to engage an upper strike plate in the engaged position;
• a lower latch mounted to the door panel in proximity to the bottom end thereof, the lower latch including a lower latch head movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, the lower latch head configured to engage a lower strike plate in the engaged position;
• an actuator mounted to the door panel between the upper latch and the lower latch, the actuator being operative to move the upper latch head and the lower latch head in response to an actuation force being applied to the actuator, the actuator configured to convert the actuation force into a first drive force and a second drive force;
• a first drive coupling the actuator to the upper latch, the first drive including a first housing, a first rod movably housed within the first housing and an elongated first cover concealing the first rod, the first housing mounted to an exterior surface of the door panel and extending from the actuator to the upper latch, the first rod coupling the actuator to the upper latch and configured to transmit the first drive force from the actuator to the upper latch, the first rod being movable in a longitudinal direction, the first rod having a length in the longitudinal direction and an arcuate configuration with a maximum width in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction, the first rod including a convex face facing in a direction away from the exterior surface of the door panel and an open concave face facing in a direction toward the exterior surface of the door panel, the convex and concave faces extending between and terminating at opposing first and second edges which define the maximum width of the first rod and extend in the longitudinal direction, the entire concave face being open across the maximum width of the first rod and facing the exterior surface of the door panel, the elongated first cover concealing the length of the first rod extending from the actuator to the upper latch;
• and
• a second drive coupling the actuator to the lower latch, the second drive including a second housing, a second rod movably housed within the second housing and an elongated second cover concealing the second rod, the second housing mounted to the exterior surface of the door panel and extending from the actuator to the lower latch, the second rod coupling the actuator to the lower latch and configured to transmit the second drive force from the actuator to the lower latch, the second rod being movable in a longitudinal direction, the second rod having a length in the longitudinal direction and an arcuate configuration with a maximum width in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction, the second rod including a convex face facing in a direction away from the exterior surface of the door panel and an open concave face facing in a direction toward the exterior surface of the door panel, the convex and concave faces extending between and terminating at opposing first and second edges which define the maximum width of the second rod and extend in the longitudinal direction, the entire concave face being open across the maximum width of the second rod and facing the exterior surface of the door panel, the elongated second cover concealing the length of the second rod extending from the actuator to the lower latch.

A surface vertical rod kit for a door surface vertical rod exit device which includes an actuator and at least one latch, the surface vertical rod kit comprising:

• an elongated base configured to be mounted to an exterior surface of a door panel, the elongated base having a length sufficient to extend from a location of the door panel at or in close proximity to the actuator to a location of the door panel at or in close proximity to the at least one latch;
• an elongated rod having a non-circular cross-sectional shape configured to be slidably supported by the base in a longitudinal direction, the rod including opposing first and second edges extending in the longitudinal direction and an open concave surface to face the base, the concave surface extending between and terminating at the first and second edges, the rod configured to transmit at least a portion of an actuation force from the actuator to the at least one latch;
• and
• a cover configured to enclose the base with the rod located therebetween, the cover configured to deflect the rod toward the base from a first height to a second height less than the first height and compress the first and second edges of the rod against the base.