US 4,465,997 AGranted

Exterior mounted door and window alarm switch

AssigneeSecurity Network International, Inc.

InventorThomas N. Hines

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An alarm switch for indicating when a latch or dead bolt for a door or window is locked or unlocked comprises a switch casing adapted for mounting on the exterior portion of the door or window frame or door or window; an electrical contact assembly mounted in the casing; a contact assembly actuating member mounted in the casing in position to change the electrical state of the contact assembly by movement of the actuating member from a deactuated to an actuated position, the actuating member being resiliently biased toward its deactuated position but being in position to engage the dead bolt or latch and move to its actuated position when the door or window is shut and the dead bolt or latch is locked, the actuating member being accessible to the door or window latch or dead bolt through an opening in the casing; and electrical terminals on the contact assembly adapted to be connected to leads leading to a remote alarm system that indicates to the alarm circuit when the door or window bolt or latch is opened. Separate switches are provided for side hinged doors having side mounted and bottom mounted dead bolts; for surface mounted dead bolts that are used on overhead doors or the like; and for emergency doors operated by a so-called panic bar. These switches may also be used for certain types of windows.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An electrical alarm switch for a door or window or the like wherein the door or window is locked in its closed position by a dead bolt or latch that engages a recess or opening in a door or window frame or adjacent door or window, the switch changing its electrical state when the dead bolt or latch is opened, the switch comprising:

a casing adapted to be mounted on the door or window or door or window frame the casing having a hollow interior portion;
an electrical contact assembly mounted in the casing, the contact assembly having a contact housing with an open interior and movable electrical contacts mounted therein, a movable actuator bar extending therefrom and positioned so as to change the open or closed state of the electrical contacts on movement of the actuator bar, the contacts being connected to terminals that protrude from the housing, the terminals extending through openings in the casing;
a terminal assembly mounted over the terminal openings in the casing, the terminal assembly having separate electrical contacts that engage each of the terminals of the contacts and having means for electrically connecting separate electrical leads from an alarm system to each contact;
a removable cover mounted over the casing so as to cover and conceal the terminal assembly;
a contact assembly actuating means movably mounted in the casing for engaging the actuator bar so as to change the electrical state of the contact assembly, the contact assembly actuating means being mounted and positioned such that a portion of the contact assembly actuating means engages the latch or dead bolt when it is closed, such engagement moving the contact assembly actuating means and changing the electrical state of the contact assembly, the contact assembly actuating means being biased to move back to its previous position when the dead bolt or latch is opened.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.