Return spring assembly for a lock mechanism
AssigneeSargent Manufacturing Company
InventorTodd Zimmer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A return spring assembly for returning a handle to the horizontal orientation includes a spring housing having an outer flange that contacts an outer surface of a door around the perimeter of a bored opening and an inner portion with a curved section that securely supports a latchbolt lock mechanism when an identical return spring assembly is installed on an opposite side of the door. A spring is driven by two spring drivers operating with a lost motion connection to the handle spindle to alternately compress the spring from opposite directions as the handle is rotated in opposite directions. The spring is positioned to not interfere with a linkage extending out from the latchbolt lock mechanism.
Claims20
A return spring assembly for a lock mechanism adapted for installation in a bored opening in a door, the return spring assembly comprising:
- a spring housing including:
- an outer flange for making supporting contact with a face of the door, the outer flange having a diameter greater than a diameter of the bored opening in the door;
- and
- an inner portion having a diameter less than the diameter of the bored opening in the door, the inner portion extending at least partially into the bored opening in the door when the outer flange is in contact with the face of the door, the inner portion including:
- a curved section extending less than one hundred eighty degrees around a perimeter of the inner portion and more deeply into the bored opening than the remainder of the inner portion;
- and
- an annular spring channel;
- a compression spring located within the spring channel;
- and
- a first spring driver having an arm engaging a first end of the spring and a second spring driver having an arm engaging a second end of the spring, each spring driver including a center shaped to engage a spindle driven by a handle, the first spring driver moving as the handle is rotated in a first direction to compress the spring from the first end of the spring and the second spring driver moving as the handle is rotated in an opposite direction to compress the spring from the second end of the spring.
A return spring assembly for a lock mechanism adapted for installation in a bored opening in a door, the return spring assembly comprising:
- a spring housing including:
- an outer flange for making supporting contact with a face of the door, the outer flange having a diameter greater than a diameter of the bored opening in the door;
- and
- an inner portion having a diameter less than the diameter of the bored opening in the door, the inner portion extending at least partially into the bored opening in the door when the outer flange is in contact with the face of the door, the inner portion including:
- a curved section extending partially around a perimeter of the inner portion and at least a half door thickness depth into the bored opening;
- and
- an annular spring channel;
- a compression spring located within the spring channel;
- and
- a first spring driver having an arm engaging a first end of the spring and a second spring driver having an arm engaging a second end of the spring, each spring driver including a cross-shaped center opening shaped to engage a square cross-section spindle driven by a handle, and each spring driver arm having a projection for engaging the spring, the first spring driver moving as the handle is rotated in a first direction to compress the spring from the first end of the spring and the second spring driver moving as the handle is rotated in an opposite direction to compress the spring from the second end of the spring.
A return spring assembly for a lock mechanism adapted for installation in a bored opening in a door, the return spring assembly comprising:
- a spring housing including:
- an outer flange having a diameter greater than a diameter of the bored opening in the door;
- an inner portion having a diameter less than the diameter of the bored opening in the door, the inner portion extending at least partially into the bored opening in the door when the outer flange is in contact with the face of the door, the inner portion including:
- a curved section extending partially around a perimeter of the inner portion and at least a half door thickness depth into the bored opening;
- and
- an annular spring channel;
- and
- at least two curved bosses located radially inwards of the annular spring channel;
- a compression spring located within the spring channel;
- a first, substantially flat, spring driver having an arm engaging a first end of the spring and a second, substantially identical, spring driver having an arm engaging a second end of the spring, each spring driver including a cross-shaped center opening shaped to engage, with a lost motion engagement, a square cross-section spindle driven by a handle, each spring driver arm being connected to its associated spring driver with a filleted base having a curvature corresponding to the curved bosses and each arm having a projection for engaging the spring, the first spring driver moving as the handle is rotated in a first direction to compress the spring from the first end of the spring and the second spring driver moving as the handle is rotated in an opposite direction to compress the spring from the second end of the spring;
- a cover plate attached to the spring housing to hold the spring in the spring channel;
- and
- a hub extending through the spring housing, the hub having a central opening shaped to engage the spindle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.