Overhead door latch system

• US 20040055222A1
• Filed: 07/24/2003
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Performance Door, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Performance Door, Inc.
• Inventors: McAdam, Malcolm A., Borowski, VictorqJ. J., Rice, David L., Larowe, Matthew P.
• Application Number:
  US10/627,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20040055222A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/449
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 53/003 flexible
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 63/042 constructed symmetrically
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0021 for overhead or roll-up doors, e.g. garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0876 cooperating with the slide guide, e.g. the rail
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 1/12 with operating handle or equivalent member moving otherwise than rigidly with the latch
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 17/60 holding sliding wings open E05C17/443, E05C17/54 take precedence

Abstract

A door latch is provided for vertical sliding doors of the type used in warehouses and loading bays. The latch includes a housing, a latch bolt supported on the housing for sliding movement between a latched position and an unlatched position, and an actuator arm supported on the housing for moving the latch bolt between the latched and unlatched positions. A linkage interconnects the actuator arm and the latch bolt to transmit movement between the actuator arm and the latch bolt, with the linkage including a first end pivotally connected to an end of the latch bolt and a second end pivotally connected to and end of the actuator arm. A pivot pin supported on the housing extends through the actuator arm at a point spaced away from the linkage whereby the actuator arm will move the latch bolt to the unlatched position with movement of the handle end of the actuator arm in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction about the pivot pin.

Claims

1. A door latch for a door including:

a housing;

a latch bolt supported on the housing for sliding movement between an extended latched position and a retracted unlatched position;

an actuator arm supported on the housing for moving the latch bolt between the latched and unlatched positions, the actuator arm extending between a handle end and a linkage end;

a linkage interconnecting the actuator arm and the latch bolt to transmit movement between the actuator arm and the latch bolt, the linkage including a first end pivotally connected to the latch bolt and a second end pivotally connected to the actuator arm; and

a pivot pin supported on the housing and extending through the actuator arm at a point spaced away from the linkage end whereby the actuator arm will move the latch bolt to the unlatched position with movement of the handle end in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction about the pivot pin.

2. The door latch of claim 1 further including a spring mechanism associated with one of the actuator arm and the latch bolt for biasing the latch bolt into the latched position.

3. The door latch of claim 1 further including at least one roller supported on the housing adjacent the latch bolt for supporting the latch bolt in its sliding movement.

4. The door latch of claim 3 further including first and second rollers supported on the housing above the latch bolt, and third and fourth rollers supported on the housing below the latch bolt for supporting the latch bolt in its sliding movement.

5. The door latch of claim 2 wherein the spring mechanism includes a washer disposed on the pivot pin, a first torsion spring disposed on one side of the washer, and a second torsion spring disposed on the other side of the washer, each spring having a first end contacting the washer and a second end contacting the actuator arm.

6. The door latch of claim 4 wherein the rollers are sheaves each supported on the housing with a post and a bearing assembly disposed between the post and the sheave.

7. The door latch of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a base plate having a door mounting plate and a stabilizing flange extending perpendicularly down from the door mounting plate whereby the base plate is adapted to be mounted at the edge of the door with the base plate on a surface of the door and the stabilizing flange on an adjacent perpendicular surface of the door.

8. The door latch of claim 7 wherein the housing includes a dust cover fastened to the base plate.

9. A door latch for a door including:

a housing;

a latch bolt supported on the housing for sliding movement between an extended latched position and a retracted unlatched position;

an actuator arm supported on the housing for moving the latch bolt between the latched and unlatched positions; and

a linkage interconnecting the actuator arm and the latch bolt to transmit movement between the actuator arm and the latch bolt; and

at least one roller associated with the latch bolt for supporting the latch bolt in its sliding movement relative to the housing whereby the friction of the sliding movement is minimized.

10. The door latch of claim 9 further including first and second rollers supported on the housing above the latch bolt, and third and fourth rollers supported on the housing below the latch bolt for supporting the latch bolt in its sliding movement.

11. The door latch of claim 10 wherein the rollers are sheaves each supported on the housing with a post and a bearing assembly disposed between the post and the sheave.

12. A vertical sliding door assembly including:

first and second door tracks oriented vertically and spaced apart from each other, with at least one of the tracks defining a top receiver hole near the top end of the track and a bottom receiver hole near the bottom end of the track;

a sliding door supported for vertical sliding movement in the first and second tracks between a down position and an up position, the door having a top edge and a bottom edge;

a latch bolt supported on the door near the bottom edge for sliding movement between an extended latched position in which the bolt extends into one of the top and bottom receiver holes, and a retracted unlatched position in which the bolt retracts out of the holes;

an actuator arm supported on the door for moving the latch bolt between the latched and unlatched positions;

a linkage interconnecting the actuator arm and the latch bolt to transmit movement between the actuator arm and the latch bolt; and

a pivot pin supported on the door and extending through the actuator arm near one of its ends whereby the actuator arm will move the latch bolt to the unlatched position with movement of the handle end in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction about the pivot pin.