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US 2004/0000205 A1Published application
Electromechanical latching system
AssigneeSouthco, Inc.
InventorHitesh Cherry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electromechanical latching system for locking a cabinet door and the like is disclosed. The latching system includes a motor drive that may include a gearbox. The motor drive selectively rotates a screw. In one embodiment, the screw engages a threaded opening of a pawl and the screw is used to pull up the pawl against, for example, a doorframe to secure, for example, a door against the doorframe. In another embodiment, the screw engages a threaded opening of an actuating arm such that rotation of the screw linearly moves the actuating arm along the length of the screw. The actuating arm engages an operating rod that operates one or more pawl assemblies to engage or disengage respective keepers.
Claims25
A screw drive mechanism comprising:
- a housing;
- a screw comprising a threaded portion formed by a threaded shaft having a screw thread, said screw having a longitudinal axis and being supported for rotational movement by said housing;
- a member having a threaded hole and being supported by said screw such that at least a portion of said screw thread is in engagement with said threaded hole;
- a first pin projecting from said screw perpendicularly relative to said longitudinal axis of said screw;
- a second pin projecting from said screw perpendicularly relative to said longitudinal axis of said screw, said second pin being spaced apart from said first pin such that at least a portion of said screw thread is positioned intermediate said first pin and said second pin, said member having said threaded hole being positioned intermediate said first pin and said second pin;
- a third pin projecting from said member having said threaded hole in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis of said screw;
- a fourth pin projecting from said member having said threaded hole in a direction opposite to said third pin and parallel to said longitudinal axis of said screw;
- and
- a motor drive coupled to said screw, said motor drive selectively rotating said screw about said longitudinal axis of said screw in a first direction, and said motor drive selectively rotating said screw about said longitudinal axis of said screw in a second direction opposite to said first direction,
- wherein said member having said threaded hole is adapted to move along said screw in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis of said screw responsive to rotation of said screw in at least one of said first direction and said second direction, movement of said member having said threaded hole along said screw in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis of said screw defining a range of linear longitudinal movement of said member having said threaded hole,
- wherein said first pin contacts said third pin to stop rotation of said screw relative to said member having said threaded hole at a first limit of said range of linear longitudinal movement of said member having said threaded hole when said screw has been rotating in said first direction relative to said housing, and
- wherein said second pin contacts said fourth pin to stop rotation of said screw relative to said member having said threaded hole at a second limit of said range of linear longitudinal movement of said member having said threaded hole when said screw has been rotating in said second direction relative to said housing.
9 more elements
A screw drive mechanism comprising:
- a housing;
- a screw comprising a threaded portion formed by a threaded shaft having a screw thread, said screw having a longitudinal axis and being supported for rotational movement by said housing;
- a member having a threaded hole and being supported by said screw such that at least a portion of said screw thread is in engagement with said threaded hole;
- and
- a motor drive coupled to said screw, said motor drive selectively rotating said screw about said longitudinal axis of said screw in a first direction, and said motor drive selectively rotating said screw about said longitudinal axis of said screw in a second direction opposite to said first direction,
- wherein said member having said threaded hole is adapted to move along said screw in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis of said screw responsive to rotation of said screw in at least one of said first direction and said second direction, movement of said member having said threaded hole along said screw in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis of said screw defining a range of linear longitudinal movement of said member having said threaded hole, said range of linear longitudinal movement having a first limit and a second limit a distance apart from said first limit.
3 more elements
An electromechanical latching system for releasably securing a first closure member in a closed position relative to a second closure member, the electromechanical latching system comprising:
- motor drive means;
- a screw selectively rotated by said motor drive means, said screw having a length;
- an actuating arm having a threaded opening, said screw engaging said threaded opening such that rotation of said screw linearly moves said actuating arm along said length of said screw;
- an operating rod engaged by said actuating arm;
- and
- at least one pawl assembly including a pawl movable between a latched position and an unlatched position, said operating rod operating said at least one pawl assembly to move said pawl between said latched position and said unlatched position as said operating rod is moved linearly in response to linear movement of said actuating arm along said length of said screw.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.