US 2006/0080912 A1Published application

Single-action egress lock for a sliding door

AssigneeHaworth, Inc.

InventorNathaniel Shedd

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Abstract

A handle-latch assembly mounted on a horizontal sliding door and coupled to a vertically movable latch bolt which protrudes outwardly from a top or bottom door edge, and which enables the inside and outside handles of the door to be respectively used for moving the door in closing and opening directions. The door also has a manual lock actuator on the inside, and an optional key-lock actuator on the outside, whereby latching the door in the closed position requires a deliberate manual manipulation of either the inner lock actuator or the outer key actuator. The assembly permits sequential unlocking and opening of the door from the inside by application of a single horizontally-directed force to the inner handle, whereas when the door is in the closed latched position it can be opened from the outside thereof only by first manually releasing the lock through utilization of the key actuator. The handle/latch mechanism includes cooperating linkages which facilitate the above functions, and which ensure that these linkages and specifically the locking linkage is automatically reset into its unlocked position whenever the locked door is opened from the inside due to manipulation of the inner handle.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An openable and closable door arrangement for a doorway, comprising:

an upright sliding door positioned for generally solely horizontal movement between opened and closed positions relative to the doorway;
a lever-type activating handle mounted on one side of the door for controlling opening and closing movement thereof, said activating handle being pivotally supported on said door for vertical swinging movement about a first substantially horizontal pivot axis which extends transverse to the door, said activating handle having a significant vertical orientation and being angularly swingably moveable through only a small angular extent;
a locking mechanism supported on said door in the vicinity of said activating handle and including a vertically elongate locking bolt supported on the door for vertical sliding movement, said locking bolt having an end portion which projects outwardly beyond the door for engagement with an adjacent stationary structure when the door is closed and the locking bolt is in a locking position;
a manually accessible and manually moveable actuator disposed adjacent said one side of the door and interconnected to said locking mechanism to effect manual locking of the locking bolt from said one side of said door;
and
a motion transfer mechanism connected between said activating handle and said locking mechanism to effect unlocking of the locking bolt in response to application of a manually-applied generally sidewardly-directed horizontally oriented opening force against said activating handle so as to effect swinging of the activating handle from one end position into an other end position to cause retraction of the locking bolt with continued application of said opening force to said activating handle effecting opening of the sliding door;
wherein application of a single direction opening force and motion against solely the activating handle by a person positioned adjacent said one side of said door is effective for initially unlocking the locking mechanism and effecting opening of the sliding door, and wherein application of a closing force and motion against the activating handle by a person positioned adjacent said one side of said door is effective solely for closing but not locking said sliding door.

4 more elements

In combination, an openable and closable upright sliding door having first and second side faces defined on opposite sides thereof, first and second activating handles mounted on said door adjacent solely said first and second side faces, respectively, for controlling opening and closing movement thereof, a locking bolt supported on the door for vertical sliding movement between an extended locking position wherein an end portion of the bolt projects outwardly of the door and a retracted non-locking position wherein the end portion is retracted inwardly, a manually accessible and rotatable lock actuator mounted on said door and accessible solely from said first side face thereof, and a latch controlling mechanism mounted interiorly of said door adjacent an upright edge thereof and interconnected to said first handle, said lock actuator and said locking bolt for controlling the position of the locking bolt, said latch controlling mechanism comprising:

a housing;
a rotary lock control member swingably supported within said housing for angular movement between unlocking and locking positions, said rotary lock control member being rotatably interconnected to said manually rotatable lock actuator;
a slide member slidably supported on said housing for movement between locking and unlocking positions, said slide member being connected to said locking bolt for controlling movement thereof;
a latch mechanism moveably cooperating between said slide member and said rotary lock control member for normally maintaining the slide member in its unlocking position when the rotary lock control member is in its unlocking position;
and
a motion coupling arrangement cooperating between said slide member and said rotary lock control member for effecting return of the rotary lock control member from its locking position to its unlocking position in response to movement of the slide member from its locking position to its unlocking position.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/966,344Filed 15 Oct 2004
Published: 20 Apr 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

E05B 65/0876
The bolts sliding parallel to the wings: cooperating with the slide guide, e.g. the rail
E05C 9/026
With one sliding bar for fastening when moved in one direction and unfastening when moved in opposite direction; with two sliding bars moved in…:…
E05C 9/042
With two sliding bars moved in opposite directions when fastening or unfastening: with pins engaging slots
E05C 9/047
With two sliding bars moved in opposite directions when fastening or unfastening: comprising key-operated locks, e.g. a lock cylinder to drive…