Clutch mechanism for a lock
OwnerMu-Lin Sheninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lock includes an outside spindle, an outside hub for rotatably receiving the outside spindle, a cam received in the outside spindle, and a sleeve received in the cam and slidable along a longitudinal direction of the outside spindle. A lug is formed on an end of the cam and operably connected to the retractor. The sleeve includes a longitudinal slot having an enlarged section. A peg is mounted in the cam and received in the longitudinal slot of the sleeve. The sleeve is engaged with the outside spindle to turn therewith. When the locking bar is moved to a locking position, the peg is located in the enlarged section such that the sleeve and the outside spindle turn freely without causing rotation of the cam when the outside spindle is turned.
Claims10
A lock comprising:
- a latch;
- a retractor for retracting the latch;
- an inside handle;
- an inside spindle having a first end fixed to the inside handle to turn therewith and a second end, the inside spindle being operably connected to the retractor such that rotation of the inside spindle causes retraction of the latch;
- a locking bar extending through the inside spindle;
- an inside hub for rotatably receiving the second end of the inside spindle;
- an outside handle;
- an outside spindle having a first end and a second end fixed to the outside handle to turn therewith;
- an outside hub for rotatably receiving the first end of the outside spindle;
- a cam received in the first end of the outside spindle, the cam including a first end and a second end, a lug being formed on the first end of the cam and operably connected to the retractor, an elastic element being received in the cam, a peg being mounted in the cam;
- and
- a sleeve received in the cam and slidable along a longitudinal direction of the outside spindle, the sleeve including a longitudinal slot having an enlarged section, the peg being received in the longitudinal slot of the sleeve, the sleeve being engaged with the outside spindle to turn therewith while allowing the sleeve to move longitudinally in the cam;
- wherein when the locking bar is moved to a locking position, the peg is located in the enlarged section such that the sleeve and the outside spindle turn freely without causing rotation of the cam when the outside spindle is turned.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.