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US 6,733,049 B2Granted
Apparatus and methods for latching an aircraft door
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsMitchell J. Piorkowski, Richard LaConte, Larry C. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An intruder-resistant latch useful for latching an aircraft flight deck door includes a damper for reducing noise while the door is being operated. The latch also includes a driver member having coated pins that reduce noise while the latch is in operation. The latch allows a flight deck door to be operated with minimal disturbance to a flight crew at work and/or crew members who may be resting. The latch is fabricated of ballistic impact-resistant material(s).
Claims17
A door latch comprising:
- a latch body adapted for installation in a recess of a door;
- a bolt member spring-loaded in a hollow of the latch body and having a bolt extending through a slot in the latch body, the bolt member having a plate that is slotted to form a pair of opposed arms, each said arm configured to be further pressed against a spring against which it is spring-loaded, to retract the bolt through the latch body slot into a retracted position;
- and
- a damper mounted in the latch body and having a movable shaft and a lever extending from the shaft into a slot in one of the opposed arms in the bolt member;
- said damper, when activated, slowing the movement of the bolt member from the retracted position.
2 more elements
A door latch comprising:
- a latch body adapted for installation in a recess of a door;
- a bolt member spring-loaded in a hollow of the latch body and having a bolt extending through a slot in the latch body, the bolt member having a pair of opposed arms, each said arm configured to be further pressed against a spring against which it is spring-loaded, to retract the bolt through the latch body slot into a retracted position;
- a damper mounted in the latch body and having a shaft and a lever extending from the shaft into a slot in one of the opposed arms in the bolt member;
- said damper, when activated, slowing the movement of the bolt member from the retracted position;
- and
- a driver member movably mounted in the latch body and configured to be pressed against at least one said arm of the bolt member to retract the bolt through the latch body slot;
- wherein the driver member comprises a pin having a sound-dampening coating that contacts the bolt member.
4 more elements
A door latch comprising:
- a latch body adapted for installation in a recess of a door;
- a bolt member spring-loaded in a hollow of the latch body and having a bolt extending through a slot in the latch body, the bolt member having a plate that is slotted to form a pair of opposed arms, each said arm configured to be further pressed against a spring against which it is spring-loaded, to retract the bolt through the latch body slot into a retracted position;
- a damper mounted in the latch body and having a shaft and a lever extending from the shaft into a slot in one of the pair of opposed arms in the bolt member;
- said damper, when activated, slowing the movement of the bolt member from the retracted position;
- and
- a driver member movably mounted in the latch body and configured to be pressed against the bolt member to retract the bolt through the latch body slot;
- wherein the driver member comprises a pin that contacts the bolt member and is coated with a sound-dampening material.
4 more elements
A method for latching a door comprising the steps of:
- installing a latch body in a recess of the door, the latch body having a hollow in which a bolt member is spring-loaded, the bolt member having a bolt extending through a slot in the latch body, the bolt member having a plate that is slotted to form a pair of opposed arms, each said arm configured to be further pressed against a spring against which it is spring loaded, to retract the bolt into the latch body;
- moving the door to cause the bolt member to be further pressed against a spring such that the bolt is retracted into the latch body into a retracted position;
- and
- said damper having a lever extending into one of the arms of the bolt member for slowing movement of the bolt member from the retracted position, said damper being mounted in the latch body.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.