Door latch system and method
AssigneeFPI Fireplace Products International Ltd.
InventorsGeorge Hon Kwong Lau, Edwin Wayne Thurber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A door latch system for a heating system is provided. The door latch system may be installed with a fireplace, wood stove, pellet stove, or other suitable system. The door latch system comprises a handle, a handle head and a catch. The handle head may be configured to engage the catch. Moreover, the catch may be configured with a self adjusting tension system, such that when the handle head engages the catch, the catch is configured to exert a tension force on the handle head. This tension force also causes the handle head to compress the seal of a fireplace door where the door latch system is installed.
Claims19
A door latch system, comprising:
- a handle head;
- a handle mount coupled to the handle head, wherein the handle mount comprises a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
- a handle configured to removably couple to the handle mount, wherein the handle is configured to slidably engage the handle mount at the first end to produce a first orientation and at the second end to produce a second orientation, and wherein a torque resulting from a rotational movement of the handle is translated through the handle mount to the handle head;
- and
- a catch comprising a tensioner mechanism,
- wherein the handle head is configured to engage the catch, and
- wherein the tensioner mechanism is configured to conduct a tension force from the catch to the handle head.
A fireplace, comprising;
- a door;
- an engagement comprising a handle mount having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
- a handle removably coupled to the handle mount, wherein the handle may be slidably coupled to the handle mount at the first end to produce a first orientation and at the second end to produce a second orientation;
- a catch mechanism coupled to the door, the catch mechanism comprising a first tensioner and a first tensioner adjustment mechanism;
- wherein the engagement is configured to operatively engage the catch mechanism in response to a first torque applied to the handle in the first orientation;
- and
- wherein the engagement is configured to operatively engage the catch mechanism in response to a second torque applied to the handle in the second orientation.
A method for closing a fireplace door to a fireplace, comprising:
- providing the fireplace door comprising a door seal and a door latch system, wherein the door latch system comprises a removable handle coupled to a handle mount, and wherein the handle mount comprises a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
- providing a fireplace comprising a self-tensioning catch;
- coupling the handle at the first end of the handle mount to produce a first orientation;
- applying a first rotational movement to the handle in the first orientation, wherein the rotational movement causes a first torque to be exerted on the handle head, and wherein in response to the torque the handle head pivots to at least one of engage and disengage the catch;
- coupling the handle at the second end of the handle mount to produce a second orientation;
- applying a second rotational movement to the handle in the second orientation, wherein the second rotational movement causes a second torque to be exerted on the handle head, and wherein the second torque is greater than the first torque.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.