US2941833A - Push button actuated lock device for cabinet doors, compartment doors and the like - Google Patents

Description

June 21, 19@ s. LILLKVIST 2,941,833

PUSH BUTTON ACTUATED LOCK DEVICE FOR CABINET DOORS, COMPARTMENT DOORS AND THE LIKE I FiledJune 14, 1955 IN VENTOR I @mailiiiui ATTORNEYS States,

PUSH BUTTON ACTUATED LOCK DEVICE FOR CABINET DOORS, COMPARTMENT DOORS AND THE LIKE Salomo Lillkvist, Alholmsgatan 23, Jakohstad, Finland Filed June 14, 1955, Ser. N 515,410

1 Claim. (Cl. 292-220) This invention relates to push button actuated latching means for cabinet doors, compartment doors and the like requiring some type of latching means. Many different modifications of spring locks are known but they all sufier from certain defects. Either the locks are too expensive and complicated in construction or not strong enough to stand the daily use to which a cupboard door, e.g., in a kitchen is subjected. For this reason lock devices with spiral spring means about the push button andother loose parts are not suitable. Priordevices are also often applicable only to a relatively thick door which is impractical for kitchen cabinets. Then too, the locks or latch bolts must be attractive in outward appearance.

Locks are known, Where a spring actuated angular latchbolt is mounted for swinging motion about a pivot pin disposed in a casing and passed through the bolt near the angular end thereof, the lock casing being connected directly to a knob or a handle whereon a push button is mounted. This invention is characterized in that the lock casing consists substantially of an angular part having one legthereof possibly detachably secured to a mounting plate whereby the lock can be secured to the front side of a door, the other leg of said angular part being adapted to run substantially parallel with the said plate and to house the latchbolt proper while the pivot pin in mounted position is arranged to lie in the casing part turned towards the cabinet, compartment or the like so the latchbolt in operative position projects at least to the edge of the plate on the wall of the cabinet, compartment or the like adjacent to the lock device.

Then too, the push button can advantageously be arranged to slightly incline in relation to the plane'of the door. This arrangement provides the push button with a more favourable position in relation to the legs of the latchbolt wherefore the same can be made more massive in structure. The same need only be provided with a stop or shoulder for limiting the outward movement thereof while the inward movement thereof is restricted by the casingor the latchbolt.

In most of the heretofore known latching devices of the type stated the lock casing which houses the latchbolt (in this case the angular pivotally mounted latching means) is secured to the back side of a door and only the push button projects through the door itself. Hence a closing device of the type stated consists of two parts. Conversely, the lock casing of the present invention consists of a shaped casing wherein one leg is directly joined to the plate adapted to be mounted on the front side of the door and simultaneously to form a part of the handle while the other leg is adapted to house the latchbolt itself. In this way it is possible to place the latching device of the invention on doors of dilferent thicknesses. The lock casing may stick out more or less on the back side or be sunk entirely into the wood of the door. The lock is. mounted on the door from the front side thereof only. 'When so desired a cover plate can be secured round the lock casing on the back of the door or over be used as a pattern in the aperture making step.

In such instances wherein the lock casing sticks out more or less on the back side of the door and is surrounded by a plate the latter canand in connection therewithialso the lock casing--be shaped in many diiiep ent ways. Especially when the lock'casing is'mou'nted slidably in relation to the mounting plate on the front side of'the door the cover plate can advantageously be used for rigidly securing the casing in a specific position. For this purpose it is advantageous to provide the cover plate with grooves which coact with corresponding projections in the lock casing. Such projections are provided, e.g., by the pivot pin ends which project from the lock casing. Also different kinds of ridges can be made in the casing wall for coacting with corresponding grooves in the cover plate or vice versa to maintain the two parts in fixed relative position.

The lock casing can also be made so the lock can be opened from the back side of the door without thereby rendering the lock complicated or weak in construction. Through an aperture in the casing bottom (the casing wall parallelwith the back side of the door) can be passed a member which operates against the spring action and elfects bolt retraction without depression of the push button and without the push button actuating said means, or, the said means can be made integral with the latchbolt and stick out through the aperture. This releasing means can advantageously be shaped in the form of a tongue adapted to cover said aperture and not changing the'appea'rance of the casing.

Both the lock casing and the angular piece or latchbolt and the releasing means can be made from one and the same sheet of metal and bent into the desired form. It is to be understood that the same can also be made of material other than metal, e.g., plastics.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a member on the rear side thereof; Fig. 2 isa fragmentary perspective view of an embodiment of the invention showing the same at the rear side of a relatively thin door prior to securing the lock in place; and t p Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of alatchbolt, pivotzpin and spring, all forming parts of the invention.

The-lock of the invention consists of relatively few and simple parts: The handle 1 on the front side of the door serves simultaneously as a guide sleeve for the push button 2, having one end thereof disposed in the lock casing 3. The handle proper 1 can be shaped in many diiferent ways. Hence the lock can be applied to right and left hand sided doors as also in vertical andhorizontal positions. When the handle is adjusted into the desired position the same is screwed securely to the door by screw. means.

The lock casing 3 is cut from one and the same piece of material and bent so the same forms a hollow |-shaped piece wherein one leg is securable by means of earsto the mounting plate of the handle 1 while the other leg is adapted to house the-latchbolt 5' which is pivotally mounted by means of a pin 6 "and a spiral spring 7 in the lock casing 3 so the bolt 5 will, when the lock is in non-operative position, remain in locked position.

That part of the latchbolt abutting against the push button 2 can be provided with a projection 5b adapted to lean against the push button or be bent upwardlyagainst the end surface of the pushbutton. The projection 5b may also be provided with a roller for facilitating sliding along the end surface of the push button 2. To facilitate assembly the ends of the pin 6 may be provided with a lock with a releasing shoulderor the like so the same may be clamped or same or the bolt, To preventthe ends of the spring from entering crevices in the casing or the bolt the same may advantageously be bent, but nothing prevents one from keeping the same straight. W

The embodiment of the releasing member shown in Figures 1 and 2 consists of a lever arm which'partly embraces the latchbolt and is mounted on the axis thereof and maintained in non-operating position by the spring 7 which is shown clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The lever arm is shaped to form a tongue 12 which covers an aperture 3d made in the lock casing. From either sides of the tongue proper 12 extend arms 12a which embrace the latchbolt 5 and are rotatable about the-pin 6. At right angles to the length of the arms 12a, and extending outwardly therefrom are the flanges, which are bent towardeach other and are adapted to engage the arms 5b of the latchbolt. By moving the tongue into the direction "indicated by the arrow in Fig. l the arms 5b are projected and the bolt retractedinto inoperative position. Hence the push button 2 does not act upon the releasing member wherefore the two members function quite independently of each other. The spring causes the tongue to retract into inoperative position and the casing portion supports the tongue 12 at one end of the aperture 3d. The latchbolt may also be made integral with the releasing member. It will be apparent that one end of the spring 7 bears against an inner .wall of the casingwhile the other end thereof bears against the inner side of the portion 5a of the bolt 5 to normally urge the bolt outwardly from the casing, as shown in Fig. 2, but thatwhenthe tongue 12 is moved away from the casing as shown by the arrow in Fig. 1, its flanges will bear against the portions 5b of the latchbolt moving the same counterclockwise, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3, to thereby move the bolt to unlocked position against the action o f the spring 7.

Upon depressing the button 2 the inner end portion thereof disposed within the casing 3 operates against the action of the spring and pushes the latchbolt so that the projecting part 5a thereof shown in Fig. 2 is swung into the casing 3 and the door is freed to. open when the handle 1 is pulled. Ifthe push button is arranged to incline the inner part thereof can advantageously be beveled slightly in order not to strike the wall of thelock casing. v

In constructing the lock the latchbolt 5 is first disposed in the casing 3 by means of the pin 6 while the spring is arranged in holes near the outermost corner of the casing leg, an which the button 2 is inserted into its place finally the diiferentparts are connected with a plate which is attached with ,rivets or screws to the handle part or the mounting plate is providedwith holes for the screws or other fastening means. The rivets may also consist of pipe rivets through which the" screws" are passed; Should some partsbemade of plastic material the rivets can be madeintegral with the said parts and then application of heat and/or pressure'be' shaped into the desired form. Also glueing methods can be adapted for usein assembling the parts together.

It is naturally also possible to secure the casing 3 to the mounting plate without the use of a specific cover state, Neither is there anything to prevent onefrom makingthe housing 3 integral with the handle" part' l while suitable means shouldbe providedfor inserting the push but t on; in the construction step. .In general the constructional: details maybe varied in'- many diiferent wayswithin the scope and spirit of this invention; When the'pushbutton is bevelled the same can be inclined in many difi'erent'ways in relation to the door surface,-bo th as'reg'ardsthe' direction and sire of the inclination angle. Aspitabjle. inclination a'ngle' in relation to the door surface E 76".

h q Q lfli ts i sasw imt ne E QPQ fitohhtedoh different" kinds of'd'oors, thin or thick, with "arenas-m rabbet, lea a right hand sided ass. Both the handle Land the button 2 can be actuated equally well from different directions. When mounting the lock the inner cover plate 11 can be used as a pattern for the aperture which is made slightly larger than the casing 3. When the casing has been inserted through the aperture and the casing edge which encircles the latchbolt 3 is in line with the door edge, the lock itself is screwed securely from the front side after which a cover plate may be positioned from the back side. It is to be noted that the cover plate does not constitute any essential part of the locking device proper. The lock functions also without the cover plate which only serves to hide the aperture edges in such instances where the lock casing passes through the door. Should the door be thick the lock casing need only be inserted into the door and no cover plate is needed.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it will be apparent that this invention provides a push button type of locking device easy .to mount and simple in construction without any sensitive parts which because of rough handling or prolonged use stop functioning. In the prior known keeper plate adapted to be secured over the latchbolt aperture on the door frame part opposite to the lock; the aperture may be made closer to the one edge than the other. In this way the keeper plate can be .used equally well on doors with rabbet as on doors without rabbet. The invention also contemplates the use of a [-shaped keeper plate.

Also other modifications can be made in thedescribed device without deviating from the'scope of the invention. So, e'.g., the lock casing and the latchbolt can be arranged sidewardly movable in relation to the handle and push button, which arrangement may prove advantageous in certain instances. The shape and size of the button and the handle may naturally be varied within wide ranges, as also the material from which the same are made.

- Moreover it has proved advantageous to make the button and the handle of plastic and the lock casing and latchbolt or sheet metal or the like material which is cut and then bent or shaped in any manner into the desired form. However nothing prevents one from using plastic for the making of the lock casing and/or the latchbolt also.

I claim:

A- push button actuated latching device for a compartment door, comprising a plate for attachment to the front of the door and provided with an aperture, a push button extending inwardly through said aperture, a hollow latchbolt casing attached to said plate and surrounding an end of said push button, a pin extending through said casing, a latchbolt pivotally mounted on said pin andprovided with a tongue and with a projection', said projection operatively contacting said push button, spring means urging said tongue to project outwardly of said casing, depression of said push button against the urging of said spring means causing said latchbolt topivot so that said tongue is withdrawn into said casing;-a releasing lever in said casing having parallel sid'e' portions partially encompassing said latchbolt and pivotedon said pin, an arm affixed to each'of' said side portions and extending toward each other inth e'path of movement of said projection of said latchbolt, and; finger-piece extending from said releasing le'ver' exteriorly of said casing whereby movement of said finger pie'ce away from sa'idcasing will cause said arms to engage saidprojection to move said projection and accordingly said tongue against the action of the spring and inde pendently of any movement of said push button.

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS 289566 Lee Dec. 4; 1883" (Other references on following page) UNITED STATES PATENTS Steuerwald Jan. 24, 1893' Magovern Sept. 18, 1894 Ledwinka Nov. 16, 1926 North June 12, 1928 Schmidgall Aug. 27, 1935 Ford Oct. 8, 1935 Fox Oct. 5, 1943 6 Jacobi Dec. 28, 1943 Knuth Aug. 4, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Australia June 25, 1953 Belgium Mar. 31, 1954 Great Britain Aug. 20, 1945 Great Britain Nov. 25, 1948

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