Gate latch assembly

• US 20060185253A1
• Filed: 05/16/2005
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dorel Juvenile Group, Inc. (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cosco Management Incorporated (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Monahan, Robert D., Marsden, Andrew W., Bastien, Richard M., Phung, Trung
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,985 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/465
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0014 to prevent opening by children E05B13/00 takes precedence; child-proof container closures B65D50/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 9/02 with one sliding bar for fastening when moved in one direction and unfastening when moved in opposite direction; with two sliding bars moved in the same direction when fastening or unfastening
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 9/1841 perpendicular to actuating bar
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/002 Safety guards or gates
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/04 of wing type, e.g. revolving or sliding trap doors; louvre doors or windows E06B7/08

Abstract

A gate is coupled to a gate mount adapted to be located in a passageway of a staircase. A hand-operated latch assembly is provided for opening and closing the gate.

Claims

1. A gate unit comprising

a gate mount,

a gate mounted on a portion of the gate mount for movement between an opened position and a closed position,

a latch mounted on the gate and including a spring-biased post carrier having a plunger post connected thereto, the plunger post being biased to an extended position, and the latch further including a latch retraction ramp, and

latch drive means mounted on the gate for interacting with the latch retraction ramp to urge the spring-biased post carrier and plunger post to a retracted position.

2. The gate unit of claim 1, wherein the latch drive means includes a receiver ramp on the gate mount configured to cooperate with the plunger post such that, when the gate is moved by a closing force to contact the gate mount during a gate closure, a camming movement of the plunger post on the receiver ramp causes the post carrier and plunger post to move to the retracted position and places the plunger post in position to snap back to an extended position and into a post receiver on the gate mount.

3. The gate unit of claim 1, wherein the latch drive means includes a handle and a latch retraction bar having a latch retraction pin, the handle and latch retraction bar cooperating such that upon movement of the handle the latch retraction pin rides on the latch retraction ramp causing the latch to move against spring-biased forces of the spring-biased post carrier to withdraw the plunger post from a post receiver on the gate mount when the gate is in the closed position, thereby allowing the gate to be moved to the opened position.

4. The gate unit of claim 1, wherein the latch drive means includes a latch mover having a latch retraction pin mounted thereon and a pin-receiving opening on the post carrier, the pin-receiving opening is partially bordered by the latch retraction ramp and the latch retraction pin configured to extend into the pin-receiving opening, the latch retraction pin is arranged for movement along the latch retraction ramp such that, when the gate is moved to the closed position, the latch mover causes movement of the post carrier which urges the plunger post into a post receiver on the gate mount.

5. The gate unit of claim 3, further comprising a latch base, wherein the latch retraction bar includes a retractor bar return spring connected to the latch base and the retractor bar return spring biases the latch retraction bar such that the plunger post is biased in the extended position.

6. The gate unit of claim 3, wherein the post carrier is movable from an extended position to a retracted position without moving the handle.

7. The gate unit of claim 4, wherein the latch retraction ramp is inclined linearly and forms one leg of the pin-receiving opening.

8. A gate unit comprising

a gate mount including a latch receiver frame having a post receiver,

a gate mounted on a portion of the gate mount for movement on the gate mount between an opened position and a closed position, and

a latch assembly including a latch having a latch retraction ramp and a plunger post configured to mate with the post receiver, a latch base, and a latch mover mounted for movement on the latch base to move the latch, the latch mover including a latch retractor pin arranged to ride on the latch retraction ramp so that movement of the latch mover in a first direction permits movement of the latch which urges the plunger post to an extended position and into the post receiver upon movement of the gate to the closed position.

9. The gate unit of claim 8, wherein movement of the latch mover in a second direction causes movement of the latch to withdraw the plunger post from the post receiver to permit a user to move the gate to the opened position.

10. The gate unit of claim 8, wherein the latch mover includes a retractor bar and a latch retractor bar return spring attached thereto and the retractor bar return spring is connected to the latch base and biased to move the latch retractor bar to a lowered position allowing movement of the latch toward the latch receiver frame and projection of the plunger post into the post receiver when the gate is moved to the closed position.

11. The gate unit of claim 10, wherein the latch mover further includes a latch retractor bar lift handle mounted to move relative to the latch base and configured to move the latch retractor bar in an upward direction against biasing forces of the latch retractor bar return spring to cause movement of the latch retractor pin along the latch retraction ramp and allow movement of the latch away from the latch receiver frame and withdrawal of the plunger post from the post receiver, thereby permitting a user to move the gate to the opened position.

12. The gate unit of claim 8, wherein the latch includes a pin-receiving opening configured to receive the latch retractor pin, the pin-receiving opening is triangular-shaped, and the latch retractor ramp forms one leg of the pin-receiving opening.

13. The gate unit of claim 8, wherein the latch assembly includes two latches, each latch includes a latch retraction ramp, and the latch receiver frame includes two post receivers.

14. The gate unit of claim 13, wherein each latch includes a pin-receiving opening configured to receive the latch retractor pin and each latch retraction ramp partially borders the pin-receiving opening.

15. The gate unit of claim 13, wherein each latch includes a post carrier having a plunger post mounted thereon and having a spring with one end mounted on the post carrier and the other end connected to the latch base and each spring is oriented for movement essentially perpendicular to the latch receiver frame and expandable yieldably to urge the post carrier toward the latch receiver frame and urge each plunger post into one of the two post receivers.

16. A gate unit comprising

a gate mount including a latch receiver frame having a post receiver,

a gate mounted on a portion of the gate mount for movement between an opened and a closed position, and

a latch mechanism mounted on the gate, the latch mechanism comprising a latch base including an aperture, a latch including a post carrier having a plunger post coupled to the post carrier and a pin-receiving opening having an inclined latch retractor ramp forming a partial border of the pin-receiving opening, and a latch retractor bar being mounted on the latch base and having a latch retractor pin arranged to move along the latch retractor ramp such that the latch is movable away from and towards the latch receiver frame when the gate is moved, respectively, from the opened position to the closed position.

17. The gate unit of claim 16, wherein the gate mount includes a ramp formed on an exterior portion of the latch receiver frame and the ramp is configured to provide a riding surface for the plunger post when the gate is moved by a closing force from the opened to the closed position.

18. The gate unit of claim 17, wherein the post carrier includes a spring mounted for movement essentially perpendicular to the latch receiver frame and biased to urge the plunger post through the aperture on the latch base and, upon movement of the plunger post on the riding surface of the ramp, the post carrier is urged away from the latch receiver frame against biasing forces of the spring causing the plunger post to retract into the aperture thereby allowing the plunger post to then snap into the post receiver placing the gate in the closed position.