Back to results
US 12,258,782 B2Granted
Magnetic lockset
AssigneeSchlage Lock Company LLC
InventorsDustin Swartz, Ryan Martin, Jeffrey Morovich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exemplary lockset includes a mortise case, a magnet assembly mounted in the mortise case, and a manual actuator operable to move the magnet assembly between a coupling position in which a first magnet of the magnet assembly is aligned with a reference point and a decoupling position in which the first magnet is misaligned with the reference point. In certain embodiments, the magnet assembly further includes a second magnet having an opposite polarity as the first magnet, and the second magnet is misaligned with the reference point when the magnet assembly is in the coupling position and is aligned with the reference point when the magnet assembly is in the decoupling position.
Claims22
A lockset configured for mounting to a door movable between an open position and a closed position, the lockset comprising:
- a first magnet assembly;
- a second magnet assembly positioned opposite the first magnet assembly relative to a reference plane;
- and
- a manual actuator operably coupled with the first magnet assembly such that actuation of the manual actuator moves the first magnet assembly from a first position to a second position;
- a latch operably connected with the manual actuator, wherein actuation of the manual actuator moves the latch between a latching position and an unlatching position parallel to the reference plane and also moves the first magnet assembly from the first position to the second position parallel to the reference plane;
- wherein a first one of the first and second magnet assemblies comprises a first magnet and a second magnet, wherein a first magnetic pole of the first magnet faces the reference plane, and wherein a second magnetic pole of the second magnet opposite the first magnetic pole of the first magnet faces the reference plane;
- wherein a second one of the first and second magnet assemblies comprises a third magnet having a magnetic pole that faces the reference plane;
- wherein, with the first magnet assembly in the first position, the first magnetic pole of the first magnet is aligned with the magnetic pole of the third magnet, the first magnetic pole of the first magnet having a polarity opposite the magnetic pole of the third magnet to generate magnetic attraction such that the door is urged to remain in the closed position;
- and
- wherein, with the first magnet assembly in the second position, the second magnetic pole of the second magnet is aligned with the magnetic pole of the third magnet, the second magnetic pole of the second magnet having a polarity like the magnetic pole of the third magnet to generate magnetic repulsion such that the door is not urged to remain in the closed position.
7 more elements
A lockset configured for mounting to a door movable between an open position and a closed position, the lockset comprising:
- a first magnet assembly;
- a second magnet assembly positioned opposite the first magnet assembly relative to a reference plane;
- a manual actuator operably coupled with the first magnet assembly such that actuation of the manual actuator moves the first magnet assembly from a first position to a second position;
- a carriage configured to carry the first magnet assembly between the first position and the second position upon actuation of the manual actuator, wherein the carriage has a deactuated position corresponding to the first position of the first magnet assembly, and an actuated position corresponding to the second position of the first magnet assembly;
- and
- a latch operably coupled to the carriage and movable between a latching position and an unlatching position, wherein, when the carriage is in the deactuated position, the carriage sets the latch in the latching position and sets the first magnet assembly in the first position, and wherein, when the carriage is in the actuated position, the carriage sets the latch in the unlatching position and sets the first magnet assembly in the second position;
- wherein a first one of the first and second magnet assemblies comprises a first magnet and a second magnet, wherein a first magnetic pole of the first magnet faces the reference plane, and wherein a second magnetic pole of the second magnet opposite the first magnetic pole of the first magnet faces the reference plane;
- wherein a second one of the first and second magnet assemblies comprises a third magnet having a magnetic pole that faces the reference plane;
- wherein, with the first magnet assembly in the first position, the first magnetic pole of the first magnet is aligned with the magnetic pole of the third magnet, the first magnetic pole of the first magnet having a polarity opposite the magnetic pole of the third magnet to generate magnetic attraction such that the door is urged to remain in the closed position;
- and
- wherein, with the first magnet assembly in the second position, the second magnetic pole of the second magnet is aligned with the magnetic pole of the third magnet, the second magnetic pole of the second magnet having a polarity like the magnetic pole of the third magnet to generate magnetic repulsion such that the door is not urged to remain in the closed position.
8 more elements
A method of controlling a state of a door having an open position and a closed position, the method comprising:
- mounting a first magnet assembly to the door;
- mounting a second magnet assembly to a structure adjacent the door, the second magnet assembly positioned opposite the first magnet assembly relative to a reference plane;
- actuating a manual actuator, wherein the actuating results in moving a latch between a latching position and an unlatching position parallel to the reference plane, and wherein the actuating results in moving the first magnet assembly from a first position to a second position parallel to the reference plane;
- wherein a first one of the first and second magnet assemblies comprises a first magnet and a second magnet, wherein a first magnetic pole of the first magnet faces the reference plane, and wherein a second magnetic pole of the second magnet opposite the first magnetic pole of the first magnet faces the reference plane;
- wherein a second one of the first and second magnet assemblies comprises a third magnet having a magnetic pole that faces the reference plane;
- aligning the first magnetic pole of the first magnet with the magnetic pole of the third magnet when the first magnet assembly is in the first position with the first magnetic pole of the first magnet having a polarity opposite the magnetic pole of the third magnet to thereby generate magnetic attraction to urge the door to remain in the closed position;
- and
- aligning the second magnetic pole of the second magnet with the magnetic pole of the third magnet when the first magnet assembly is in the second position with the second magnetic pole of the second magnet having a polarity like the magnetic pole of the third magnet to thereby generate magnetic repulsion to permit movement of the door from the closed position toward the open position.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.