US 8,182,001 B2Granted

Direct action window lock

AssigneeMilgard Manufacturing Incorporated

InventorsJohn Tremble, Gordon Liebel, Kevin Vilhauer, Dan Blasé, R. Lee Rawls, James A. Duncan

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A window latch for a sliding window having a sliding sash including a latch plate and a housing. The housing includes an engagement element movable relative to the housing from a locked position operatively engaged with the latch plate to an unlocked position disengaged from the latch plate. A handle is operatively coupled to the engagement element and movable from a first position to a second position in a first direction corresponding to the direction the sliding sash to which the handle is attached moves to an open position. The handle operatively moves the engagement element from the locked position to the unlocked position as the handle is moved in the first direction toward the second position.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A window latch for a sliding window having a sliding sash, the window latch comprising:

a latch plate;
a housing including an engagement element, the engagement element movable from a locked position operatively engaged with the latch plate to an unlocked position disengaged from the latch plate, the engagement element having a channel formed therein;
and
a handle having an arm portion extending therefrom operatively coupled to the engagement element and being movable from a first position to a second position in a same direction the sliding sash moves to an open position, the handle operatively moving the engagement element from the locked position to the unlocked position as the handle is moved from the first position toward the second position;
the handle being biased toward the first position only when the sliding sash is in a closed position;
the handle being biased toward the second position by a first spring located in the channel of the engagement element, the handle being biased toward and retained in the second position only when the sliding sash is in the open position;
and a second spring biasing the engagement element to the locked position;
wherein the engagement element automatically moves from the unlocked position to the locked position when the sliding sash is moved to the closed position, and the handle automatically returns to the first position only when the engagement element is in the locked position, and
the engagement element channel including a first wall and an opposing second wall, a shuttle being located within the channel between the first wall and the second wall, the first spring being located within the channel and operatively connected to the shuttle and first wall, the handle arm extending into the channel between the shuttle and the second wall.

6 more elements

A window latch for a sliding window having a sliding sash, the window latch comprising:

an engagement element, the engagement element being slidably movable between an extended locked position and a retracted unlocked position, the engagement element being biased toward the extended position, the engagement element having a channel therein;
a handle movable between a first position and a second position, the handle being operatively coupled to an engagement element,
a stop member movable from an engaged position in which the stop member retains the engagement element in the retracted unlocked position to a disengaged position in which the engagement element is free to move to the extended locked position;
and
a latch plate configured to receive the engagement element in the extended locked position, the latch plate including a strike member configured to contract a portion of the stop member, the stop member being moveable to the disengaged position when a contact surface of the stop member contacts the strike member, and the stop member being biased to the engaged position when the stop member does not contact the strike member, the contact surface of the stop member extending out of the housing when the engagement element is in the retracted position and the contact surface of the stop member being moved toward the housing when the engagement element is in the extended position;
a first spring configured to bias the handle toward the first position when the sliding sash is in a closed position;
and
a second spring configured to bias the handle toward the second position only when the sliding sash is in the open position, the engagement element having a channel including a first wall and an opposing second wall, a shuttle being located within the channel between the first wall and the second wall, the second spring being located within the channel and operatively connected to the shuttle and first wall, a portion of the handle extending into the channel between the shuttle and the second wall.

5 more elements

A window latch for a sliding window having a sliding sash, the window latch comprising:

a housing including an engagement element releasably movable within the housing from an extended locked position engaging a latch plate, to a retracted unlocked position disengaged from the latch plate;
a handle operatively coupled to the housing and movable in a first direction from a first lowered position to a second raised position, the first direction corresponding to the direction the sliding sash to which the handle is attached moves to an open position;
and
the handle being spring biased by a spring to the second raised position only when the engagement element is in the retracted unlocked position and the housing is offset from the latch plate in the first direction, the engagement element having a channel including a first wall and an opposing second wall, a shuttle being located within the channel between the first wall and the second wall, the spring being located within the channel and operatively connected to the shuttle and the first wall, a portion of the handle extending into the channel between the shuttle and the second wall;
and
wherein the handle is operatively held in the first lowered position when the engagement element is in the extended locked position;
the handle being free to move to the first lowered position by the application of force by a user without causing the engagement element to move from the retracted unlocked position to the extended locked position.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/521,086Filed 14 Sep 2006
Published: US 2008/0129054 A15 Jun 2008
Granted: 22 May 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification20 codes

E05B 65/08
Locks or fastenings for special use: for sliding wings
E05B 5/003
Handles completely let into the surface of the wing: pop-out handles, e.g. sliding outwardly before rotation
E05B 15/102
Bolts of locks or night latches: bolts having movable elements
E05B 41/00
Locks with visible indication as to whether the lock is locked or