Gate unlocking
AssigneeThe First Years Inc.
InventorsJon R. Rossman, Bryan R. Hotaling
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus includes a pair of frame members adapted for mounting to opposing surfaces of a passageway. A door is mounted to at least one of the frame members for movement between a closed position, in which the door and frame members substantially traverse the passageway, and an open position, in which a portion of the passageway is free of the door and frame members, the portion being large enough to permit passage of an adult therethrough. A lock is coupled to at least one of the frame members and adapted to retain the door in the closed position, the lock including an actuator adapted to release the lock to permit movement of the door from the closed position toward the open position upon application to the actuator of a force of at least a predetermined weight of a child.
Claims23
An apparatus comprising:
- a pair of frame members adapted for mounting to opposing surfaces of a passageway;
- a door pivotably mounted to at least one of the frame members for movement between a closed position, in which the door and frame members substantially traverse the passageway, and an open position, in which a portion of the passageway is free of the door and frame members, the portion being large enough to permit passage of an adult therethrough;
- and
- a lock coupling at least one of the frame members to the door, to retain the door in the closed position, the lock including a foot pedal disposed near a lower portion of the frame members and releasably coupled to the door such that when the foot pedal is depressed by a user's foot in a hands-free operation the lock is released to permit pivoting movement of the door with respect to the frame members from the closed position toward the open position upon application to the foot pedal of a force of at least a predetermined weight of a child.
A safety gate comprising:
- a substantially U-shaped frame having first and second arms connected by a cross member, the frame providing a passageway between the arms above the cross member;
- a bracket movably coupled to the second arm and providing a bracket recess, a part of the bracket recess being provided by a bracket camming surface;
- a foot pedal coupled to the bracket and movably coupled to the frame near the bottom end of the second arm for movement between a gate-opening position and a gate-locking position;
- a spring coupled to the foot pedal to bias the foot pedal toward its gate-locking position;
- and
- a door pivotally mounted to the first arm along a pivot axis and including a pin biased away from the pivot axis and configured to be received by the bracket recess, the door substantially preventing an infant from passing through the passageway when the pin is received by the bracket recess;
- wherein when the foot pedal is moved toward said gate-opening position by application of a predetermined force, the bracket camming surface bears against the pin to move the pin substantially out of the bracket recess.
An apparatus for use with a door movably mounted to a frame member between an open position and a closed position, the apparatus adapted to inhibit the door from moving from the closed position toward the open position while in a locked position and to change to an unlocked position to permit the door to move from the closed position toward an open position, the apparatus comprising a foot pedal adapted to be actuated by a force of at least a predetermined weight of a child applied to the foot pedal,
- the door including a door member having a door member camming surface and the apparatus including an apparatus camming surface, the apparatus further adapted to move the apparatus camming surface relative to the door when the force is applied to the apparatus and to remain substantially fixed relative to the door otherwise, the apparatus camming surface configured and disposed to cause one of the camming surfaces, biased into a recess provided at least partially by the other camming surface, to be substantially removed from the recess.
A gate for selectively blocking a passageway between opposed vertical surfaces, the gate comprising
- a frame adapted to be positioned between the opposed surfaces to extend across the passageway;
- a door pivotably attached to the frame alone one vertical edge of the door and adapted to pivot between open and closed positions;
- upper and lower latches for releasably securing the door in its closed position, the upper and lower latches each comprising a pin biased to extend outwardly from the door and a corresponding recess in the frame arranged to receive the pin to secure the door in its closed position;
- and
- a foot pedal positioned to actuated by a foot of a user to release both the upper and lower latches to enable the door to be moved to its open position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.