Dogging security indicator for exit device

An apparatus for selectively restraining the axial displacement of a drive rod to retain a position of a latch of an exit device, the apparatus comprising:

• an arm actuator mechanism, wherein the arm actuator mechanism includes a body portion having a first projection and a second projection, and wherein the arm actuator mechanism is operable to rotate between a first position and a second position;
• an actuator including a cam mechanism and a cam projection extending from the cam mechanism, wherein the cam mechanism is configured for rotational displacement in response to actuation of the actuator to correspondingly rotate the cam projection, rotation of the cam projection adapted to engage the first projection to rotatably displace the arm actuator mechanism to the first position, rotation of the cam projection further adapted to engage the second projection to rotatably displace the arm actuator mechanism to the second position;
• a hook bracket coupled to the arm actuator mechanism, the hook bracket having a retention member adapted to selectively lockingly engage the drive rod to prevent axial displacement of the drive rod, the hook bracket being rotatably displaced with the rotational displacement of the arm actuator mechanism;
• and
• an indicator assembly having an indicator mechanism and a housing, the indicator mechanism coupled to the housing, at least a portion of the indicator mechanism being rotatable about at least a portion of the housing, the indicator mechanism displaced from a first indicator position to a second indicator position by the rotational displacement of the arm actuator mechanism from the first position to the second position, the indicator mechanism having one or more indicators that indicate a state of the latch when the indicator mechanism is in at least one of the first and second indicator positions.

An exit device comprising:

• a latch coupled to a drive rod, the latch being axially displaced between an extend position and a retracted position by displacement of the drive rod;
• a dogging mechanism assembly having an actuator, an arm actuator mechanism, a hook bracket, and an indicator assembly, the arm actuator mechanism coupled to the hook bracket, the arm actuator mechanism and the hook bracket being rotatably displaceable between a first position and a second position by the actuator, the hook bracket adapted to lockingly engage the drive rod when the hook bracket is at the second position and the latch is at the retracted position, the arm actuator mechanism adapted to rotatably displace an indicator mechanism of the indicator assembly from a first indicator position to a second indicator position as the arm actuator mechanism is rotatably displaced to at least one of the first and second positions, the indicator mechanism having one or more indicators that indicate whether the hook bracket is lockingly engaged with the drive rod when the indicator mechanism is in at least one of the first and second indicator positions;
• wherein the actuator is operable to rotate a cam mechanism in a first direction, rotation of the cam mechanism in the first direction causing the cam mechanism to engage a first projection of the arm actuator mechanism to drive the arm actuator mechanism and the hook bracket toward the first position;
• wherein the actuator is further operable to rotate the cam mechanism in a second direction opposite the first direction, rotation of the cam mechanism in the second direction causing the cam mechanism to engage a second projection of the arm actuator mechanism to drive the arm actuator mechanism and the hook bracket toward the second position.