Latch design with adjustable backset
OwnerZhiman Yuaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved latch incorporating adjustable backset and cylinder latch bolt assemblies, working in cooperation with a door handle, mounting rods and spindle. The backset latch includes novel configured inner and outer casing parts through which extend the mounting rods and spindle, and which sandwich therebetween an actuating plate and follower plate arrangement. The cylinder latch bolt further includes a novel subassembly including a bolt mounted in spring biasing fashion via a stem portion extending therefrom and interengaging the actuating plate to selectively retract the bolt into a cylinder shaped and interiorly open body.
Claims30
A latch assembly, comprising:
- a handle rotatably mounted to a housing, a spindle extending from said handle in rotatably slaved fashion, a pair of fixed mounting rods extending from said housing in parallel fashion relative to said spindle;
- a backset subassembly arranged in substantially perpendicular extending fashion relative to said spindle and mounting rods, said backset operatively engaging said handle and, in turn, actuating a latch bolt assembly to linearly withdraw in a direction towards said backset, upon rotation of said handle, said backset comprising:
- an inner casing part;
- an outer spaced apart and aligning casing part;
- a linearly actuating plate and a follower plate sandwichingly engaged between said inner and outer casing parts;
- each of said inner and outer casing parts having a specified shape and size and including a centrally located and aligning opening through which extends said spindle, in combination with at least first and second pairs of individual positioning holes arranged on opposite sides of said central aligning openings and for receiving said mounting rods therethrough;
- said actuating plate further comprising a lengthwise extending and open interior for facilitating passage therethrough by said spindle and mounting rods, said actuating plate further comprising an extending end exhibiting oppositely extending hook portions for engaging said latch bolt assembly;
- said follower plate seating between said casing parts and against said actuating plate to facilitate extension and retraction of said latch bolt assembly, said follower plate being linearly repositioned between shorter and longer backset positions relative to said casing parts;
- and
- said latch bolt assembly further comprising a cylinder shaped and interiorly open body within which is mounted a bolt in spring biasing fashion, a stem portion extending from said bolt including gripping tabs for seating said hook portions of said actuating plate and for thereby translating said linear retraction of said actuator plate to said bolt.
A combined backset latch assembly and latch bolt assembly incorporated into a door handle, the handle being rotatably mounted relative to a housing secured against a surface of a door and including a spindle extending from the handle in rotatably slaved fashion, a pair of fixed mounting rods extending from the housing in parallel fashion relative to the spindle, said assemblies comprising:
- said backset latch being comprising inner and outer casing parts each having a specified shape and size and including a centrally located and aligning opening through which extends the spindle, first and second pairs of positioning holes being defined in each of said casing parts, separate from and on opposite sides of said central aligning apertures, and receiving therethrough at least one of the mounting rods, said inner and outer casing parts sandwiching therebetween a linearly actuating plate and a follower plate, said actuating plate further including a lengthwise extending open interior terminating at a first end in a pair of laterally projecting and forward end disposed hook portions and, at a second end, in a pair of end legs exhibiting contacting protrusions for engagement by said follower plate;
- and
- said latch bolt assembly further comprising a cylinder shaped and interiorly open body having a slot shaped opening through which said actuating plate extends and within which is mounted a bolt in spring in spring biasing fashion, a stem portion extending from said bolt including gripping tabs for seating said hook portions of said actuating plate and for thereby translating said linear retraction of said actuator plate to said bolt;
- upon selected linear displacement of said follower plate, corresponding to either of first and second backset positions, rotation of said handle resulting in said backset operatively engaging said handle and, in turn, actuating said latch bolt to linearly withdraw in a direction towards said backset.
A latch bolt assembly for use with an adjustable backset latch, comprising:
- a cylinder shaped and interiorly open body having a first end wall within which is defined a keyway for permitting access therethrough by the backset latch;
- and
- a bolt mounted in inserting and spring biasing fashion relative to said cylinder shaped body, said bolt including a stem portion extending therefrom and further including intermediately located and spaced apart gripping tabs for seating an extending actuating plate associated with the backset latch, and for thereby translating a linear retraction of by the actuator plate to said bolt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.