Door latch
AssigneeSouthco, Inc.
InventorEric Carabalona
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A latch assembly having a base and a paddle. The paddle is rotatably connected to the base to pivot about a paddle axis and has a drive surface offset from the paddle axis. A catch pinion is rotatably connected to the base to rotate about a pinion axis that is generally perpendicular to the paddle axis. The catch pinion has an activation surface positioned such that movement of the drive surface generates a force on the activation surface to rotate the catch pinion about the pinion axis. The catch pinion may have a concave surface to receive a portion of the drive surface as the paddle rotates. A lock may be movably mounted to the paddle, and movable to engage a lock surface on the catch pinion to prevent the paddle from rotating. A lock may be provided to selectively disable the drive surface from rotating with the paddle.
Claims34
A latch assembly comprising:
- a base;
- a paddle rotatably connected to the base to pivot about a paddle axis, the paddle having a drive surface located at a position offset from the paddle axis, the drive surface being movable, upon rotation of the paddle about the paddle axis, through a first travel path extending between a first drive surface position and a second drive surface position;
- and
- a catch assembly connected to the base, the catch assembly having:
- a catch pinion rotatably connected to the base to rotate about a pinion axis that is generally perpendicular to the paddle axis, the catch pinion comprising a pinion plate facing the paddle and having a concave recess to receive at least a portion of the drive surface when the drive surface moves between the first drive surface position and the second drive surface position, and
- an activation surface extending from the pinion plate at a location offset from the pinion axis, the activation surface being movable, upon rotation of the catch pinion about the pinion axis, through a second travel path extending between a first activation surface position adjacent the first drive surface position and a second activation surface position adjacent the second drive surface position, wherein the second travel path intersects the first travel path such that the drive surface can contact at least a portion of the activation surface throughout the first travel path.
A latch assembly comprising:
- a base;
- a paddle rotatably connected to the base to pivot about a paddle axis, the paddle having a drive surface located at a position offset from the paddle axis, the drive surface being movable through a first travel path when the paddle rotates about the paddle axis;
- a catch pinion rotatably connected to the base to rotate about a pinion axis that is generally perpendicular to the paddle axis, the catch pinion including an activation surface positioned in the first travel path such that movement of the drive surface through the first travel path in at least one direction generates a force on the activation surface to rotate the catch pinion about the pinion axis;
- a lock movably mounted to the paddle and comprising a first lock surface that is selectively movable to a locking position at which the lock engages the catch pinion to prevent rotation of the catch pinion in at least one direction about the pinion axis.
The latch assembly of claim 20, wherein the at least one release member comprises a catch receiver. 25 31. The latch assembly of claim 30, further comprising a remote catch operatively connected to the catch receiver.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.