Locks – Special application – For closures
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-27
2003-11-11
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3676)
Locks
Special application
For closures
C292S358000, C292S359000, C070S472000, C070S477000, C070S489000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06644077
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lock structure for bathroom use. In particular, the present invention relates to a bathroom lock that allows unlatching through rotation of an inner handle through a smaller angle.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1
of the drawings illustrates a conventional lock structure for bathroom use, which is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/173,687. The lock includes an inner rose
10
, an outer rose
20
, an inner unlatching mechanism
30
, and an outer unlatching mechanism
40
. The inner unlatching mechanism
30
allows locking by a user in the bathroom and unlocking by turning of an inner handle
11
. When in emergency, one may use a tool to turn the outer unlatching mechanism
40
to achieve the unlocking function.
The inner unlatching mechanism
30
includes an inner unlatching rod
31
, a fixing member
32
, a locking wheel
33
, and an elastic element
34
, and a follower wheel
35
. The inner unlatching rod
31
is pivotally extended through a hole
32
in the fixing member
32
that is fixed to the inner rose
2
. The inner unlatching rod
31
is extended through a non-circular hole
333
of the locking wheel
33
to allow joint rotation of the inner unlatching rod
31
and the locking wheel
33
. The fixing member
32
further includes an unlatching notch
322
and a locking notch
323
having a depth not equal to that of the unlatching notch
322
.
An engaging block
331
projects from a side of the locking wheel
33
. Further, the locking wheel
33
includes annularly arranged teeth
332
, in a periphery thereof. When the engaging block
331
is engaged in the unlatching notch
322
, the locking wheel
33
is biased by the elastic element
34
such that the teeth
332
of the locking wheel
33
disengage from teeth
352
of the follower wheel
35
. When the engaging block
331
is engaged in the locking notch
323
, the teeth
332
of the locking wheel
33
are engaged in the notch
351
of the follower wheel
35
such that rotation of the outer handle
21
cannot unlatch the lock and that the lock can be unlatched when the inner handle
11
is turned. The elastic element
34
biases the locking wheel
33
such that locking wheel
33
is always in intimate contact with the fixing member
32
and that the engaging block
331
is selectively engaged in one of the unlatching notch
322
and the locking notch
323
. Locking can be achieved by turning the inner unlatching rod
31
through 90 degrees to urge the engaging block
331
of the locking wheel
33
to move into the locking groove
323
, and the teeth
332
of the locking wheel
33
are engaged with the notch
351
of the follower wheel
35
while moving the outer unlocking mechanism
40
to a state for preventing rotation of the outer spindle
22
and the outer handle
21
.
The user may turn the inner handle
11
through 90 degrees for unlatching the lock. However, in actual use, it has been found that sometimes the unlatching procedure is accomplished through forty-five (45) degree rotation of the inner handle
11
, which is particularly true when there is a large gap between the door jamb and the end face of the door facing the door jamb. Thus, it is common that the user turns the inner handle
11
through 45 degrees, opens the door, leaves the bathroom, and closes the door again. However, the teeth
332
. of the locking wheel
33
have not disengaged from the notch
351
of the follower wheel
35
yet, as the inner handle
11
is only turned through 45 degrees, not 90 degrees. As a result, the bathroom is inadvertently locked. Further, the teeth
332
of the locking wheel
33
and the teeth
352
of the follower wheel
35
are apt to be bent, deformed, and damaged. The depth of the unlatching notch
322
also decreases strength of the fixing member
32
. The service life of the bathroom lock is accordingly shortened.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a bathroom lock that allows unlatching through rotation of an inner handle through a smaller angle, thereby avoiding unintentional locking of the bathroom resulting from previous unlatching by insufficient rotational movement of the inner handle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bathroom lock that has a simplified unlatching mechanism for prolonging the service life of the lock.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a bathroom lock with a fixing member having improved strength for prolonging the service life of the lock.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the aforementioned objects, the present invention provides a bathroom lock that includes an inner rose, an outer rose, an inner unlatching mechanism, and an outer unlatching mechanism. The inner unlatching mechanism includes an inner unlatching rod, a fixing member, a locking wheel, and a follower plate. The fixing member includes an unlatching groove and a locking groove.
A lock structure for bathroom use in accordance with the present invention comprises an inner rose, an outer rose, an inner unlatching mechanism, and an outer unlatching mechanism. An inner spindle rotatably extends through the inner rose, with an inner handle being attached to the inner spindle to turn therewith. An outer spindle rotatably extends through the outer rose, with an outer handle being attached to the outer spindle to turn therewith. The inner unlatching mechanism comprises an inner unlatching rod, a fixing member, a locking wheel, and a follower wheel.
The inner unlatching rod has a non-circular section and is operably connected to the outer unlatching mechanism. The fixing member is fixed to the inner rose and mounted around the inner unlatching rod. The fixing member includes a first side, a second side, and a central hole through which the inner unlatching rod rotatably extends. An unlatching groove is defined in the first side of the fixing member and tapers to the central through-hole. The unlatching groove is delimited by a truncated conic wall. A locking groove is defined in an end edge of the first side of the fixing member and spaced from the unlatching groove. The locking groove has a depth along a longitudinal direction of the inner unlatching rod not equal to a depth of the unlatching groove along the longitudinal direction of the inner unlatching rod.
The locking wheel is mounted to the inner unlatching rod to turn therewith. The locking wheel includes an engaging block for selectively engaging with one of the unlatching groove and the locking groove of the fixing member. The locking wheel further includes an arcuate drive portion on an outer periphery thereof. The follower wheel is securely mounted around the inner spindle to turn therewith. The follower wheel includes a notch for releasably engaging with the arcuate drive portion of the locking wheel.
When in a locked state, the engaging block of the locking wheel is engaged in the locking groove of the fixing member, and the arcuate drive portion of the locking wheel is engaged in the notch of the follower wheel, with the outer unlatching mechanism being in a state not allowing rotational movement of the outer spindle and the outer handle.
When the inner handle is turned to turn the inner spindle through 40-60 degrees, the engaging block of the locking wheel is moved into the unlatching groove of the fixing member, and the arcuate drive portion of the locking wheel is disengaged from the notch of the follower wheel.
In an embodiment of the invention, the unlatching groove of the fixing member has a width greater than that of the engaging block of the locking wheel, and the unlatching groove of the fixing member has a length greater than that of the engaging block of the locking wheel.
An elastic element is mounted around the inner unlatching rod for biasing the fixing member to press against the inner rose and for biasing the engaging block of the locking wheel to be selectively engaged in one of the unlatching groove and the locking groove of the fixing member. The inner rose includ
Bacon & Thomas PLLC
Knight Anthony
Taiwan Fu Hsing Industrial Co., Ltd.
Walsh John B.
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