NZ266304A

NZ266304A - A non-handed, concealed-screw door lock mounting mechanism having inner and outer chassis

Info

Publication number: NZ266304A
Application number: NZ266304A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Jaime Galindo
Original assignee: Schlage Lock Co
Priority date: 1993-04-26
Filing date: 1994-04-25
Publication date: 1997-09-22
Also published as: WO1994025709A1; EP0698166A4; BR9406051A; TW250523B; IL109424A0; MX9402976A; AU6773694A; KR960702045A; JPH08511843A; EP0698166B1; CA2161442A1; EP0698166A1; AU684509B2; CN1121737A; IL109424A

Description

<div class="application article clearfix" id="description"> New Zealand No. 266304 International No. PCT/US94/04521 Prierrty 3.... CorT>p^te SpeoWortqn FiM: as J i+j q 4. W Publication Dot* ...^77 I P.O. Jourrytt h0: NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Title of Invention: Non-handed, concealed-screw lock mounting mechanism Name, address and nationality of applicant(s) as in international application form: SCHLAGE LOCK CO, of 2401 Bayshore Boulevard, San Francisco, California 94134, United States of America ^ ^ iX S \ WO 94/25709 PCT/US94/04521 26630 NON-HANDED, CONCEALED-SCREW LOCK MOUNTING MECHANISM Background of the Invention This invention relates generally to door hardware and more particularly to door locks capable of either-handed installation and having concealed screws on both 5 inside and outside lock portions. When selecting door locks, the handing of the door must be considered to avoid upside down or backward mounting of levers or inappropriate mounting of door knobs whose security is compromised by exposed 10 mounting screws. The necessity for considering the myriad combinations possible between door locks of different designs and handing requirements imposed by architectural or occupancy requirements creates a significant cost burden due to inventory requirements, 15 construction delays, and correction of errors in installation. These difficulties are well known to persons familiar with door hardware installation during construction or remodelling. The foregoing illustrates limitations known to 2 0 exist in present devices and methods. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more illy 25 disclosed hereinafter. 94/25709 PCT/US94/04521 a 8 c Summai-y of the Invention In one aspect of the present invention, this is accomplished by providing a door lock having concealed screws on both inside and outside members, and 5 including an outside chassis having means for engaging an outside handle assembly and a bolt drawbar cam; an inside chassis having means for engaging an inside handle assembly and a bolt drawbar cam and having means for attaching inside and outside handle assemblies with 10 the concealed screws; and two interchangeable handle assemblies for attaching to the inside chassis. The foregoing and other aspects will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the 15 accompanying drawing figures. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is an exploded partially sectional elevation view of a door lock mounting mechanism according to the present invention. 20 Detailed Description In discussing the present invention, the terms handle assembly, knob assembly, and lever assembly, when used, are interchangeable. They are used in their generic form to refer only to the portion of a door 25 lock which is grasped with the hand to operate the latch mechanism. Figure 1 is an exploded partially sectional elevation view of a door lock mounting device according to the present invention. The lock, or latch bolt 30 assembly, is not illustrated since it is not part of the present invention, but it may be any of a commonly available array of such latch bolt mechanisms. Otherwise, the lock of the present invention includes two identical handle assemblies 10 consisting of knobs 35 15 which are rotatably captured in bushing 20. The 94/25709 PCT/US94/04521 -3- method of capture, an "E" ring or other commonly used retaining device, is not illustrated. Bushing 20 is internally threaded and is itself rotatably captured in trim ring 100 by a retaining ring, a formed flare, or 5 other means used for such rotatable retention applications. Trim ring 100 is equipped with two or more internally threaded hollow posts projecting into a door cavity. Bushing 20 has provisions, not illustrated, for application of torque to thread 10 bushing 20 onto stud 170 of inside chassis 150, as appropriate. It is clear that handle assemblies 10 are functionally identical and, so long as knobs 15 are symmetrical, are interchangeable completely. In the case of levers or other asymmetric handles, actual 15 interchangeability may be limited, although functional interchangeability still applies. It should be noted that handles 15 are equipped with bores 18, or spindle sockets, having longitudinal teeth, corners, or grooves for engaging mating longitudinal features of spindles. 20 Outer chassis 50 and inner chassis 150 have several features in common and several slightly different features. The body of chassis 50 has two or more holes to accommodate internally threaded posts 30 of handle assemblies 10. Sleeve 70 projects outwardly 25 from the chassis body and supports outer spindle 85 which has longitudinal features designed to mesh with previously described spindle bores 18 of handle assemblies 10. Outer spindle 85 has an externally cylindrical portion having a bore 82 in which inner 30 spindle 80 is captured in a driven arrangement. Inner spindle 80 and bore 82 have longitudinal meshing features which constrain inner spindle 80 and outer spindle 85 to turn together. Biasing means 83 are also included within bore 82 of outer spindle 85 to force 35 inner spindle 80 to an extended position. Inner spindle 8 0 is captured within bore 82 by staking or other common means which is not illustrated. WO 94/25709 PCT/US94/04521 -4- Inside chassis 150 is substantially identical to outside chassis 50 with a few important exceptions. Mounting legs 130 are spaced to mate with internally threaded posts 30 of knob assemblies 10. When inserted 5 in the door cavity and aligned with outside chassis 50, mounting legs 130 register with internally threaded posts 3 0 such that posts 3 0 fit smoothly within alignment bores 165 in mounting legs 30. Mounting screws 160 are inserted from the inside surface of 10 inside chassis 150 through mounting legs 130 into engagement with the threads of internally threaded posts 30, and when securely tightened, hold inside chassis 150, outside chassis 50, and knob assembly 10 in securely fixed relationship with each other. Posts 15 30 extend through holes in outside chassis 50 into alignment bores 165 in a telescopic arrangement which permits adjustment for doors of varying thicknesses. Mounting legs 130 also have recesses 168 behind the heads of mounting screws 160. These recesses 20 accommodate internally threaded posts 30 of knob assembly 10 when the knob assembly is mounted on the inside of the door. Spindles 180 and 185 have the same relationship by means of spindle bore 182 and spindle bias 83 as has been described for the spindle couple of 25 outside chassis 50. Stud 170 supports spindle 185 in its bore while the external threads provide connection capability with bushing 20 of handle assembly 10. This connection capability is a key feature of the present invention in that it permits attachment of either of 30 the functionally identical handle assemblies 10 to inside chassis 150, and, by simply reversing the positions of inside chassis 150 and outside chassis 50, the handing of the door can be changed, or accommodated. Note that sleeve 70 of outside chassis 35 50 has no external threads, and, therefore, will not engage the internal threads of bushing 20. Thus, after installation, the outside handle assembly 10 presents 94/25709 PCT/US94/04521 c r, o a s a "5" no access to either mounting screws 160 or to mounting stud 170. Note also that internally threaded posts 30 of inside handle assembly 10 telescope smoothly into recesses 168 of movinting legs 130 when the handle 5 assembly is finally attached to inside chassis 150 by means of stud 170. The door lock is pictured with two mounting posts and two mounting legs but may, of course, be provided with three or more legs. Size, weight, and strength 10 requirements of the installation will ultimately determine the number of mounting legs required. 26 6 30 4 -6- </div>

Claims

<div class="application article clearfix printTableText" id="claims"> CLAIMS:

1. A door lock comprising: two interchangeable handle assemblies, one being an inside handle assembly, the other being an outside handle assembly, each handle assembly including a threaded bore therein and a plurality of axially extending threaded posts thereon; an outside chassis having a plurality of axially extending bores therethrough, an unthreaded sleeve extending therefrom into the outside handle assembly threaded bore, and means engaging with a bolt drawbar cam; an inside chassis having means for engaging the inside handle assembly, the means for engaging the inside handle assembly comprising an externally threaded stud for threaded engagement with the inside handle assembly threaded bore; means engaging with a bolt drawbar cam; and means for engaging the outside handle assembly with concealed screws, the means for engaging the outside handle assembly comprising a plurality of axially extending mounting legs containing the concealed screws, the outside handle assembly threaded posts engaging the concealed screws and telescopically nesting within the mounting legs.

2. The door lock of claim 1, wherein the means, in the inside and outside chassis, for engaging a bolt drawbar cam comprises an axially fixed outer spindle, the outer spindle having a non-cylindrical axial bore in its inward end, the bore containing a congruently-shaped captured inner spindle projecting a sufficient distance to engage a bolt drawbar cam of a door latch bolt assembly.

3. The door lock according to claim 2, wherein the interchangeable handle assemblies contain axially extending spindle bores, said spindle bores having longitudinal features with intermesh and congruent longitudinal features of the outer spindles.

4. A door lock substantially as herein described with re accompanying drawing. END OF CLAIMS ASPEC89720 </div>