Latch for tiltable sash windows
First Claim
1. A latch, for use in fenestration products, said latch comprising:
- (a) a latch bolt;
said latch bolt comprising a latch bolt tongue, said latch bolt tongue having a front face, said front face extending between a top surface and a bottom surface and between an outer end and an inner end, said front face having a step feature;
said latch bolt further comprising a housing, said housing comprising a top plate, a bottom wall, and first and second side walls, said first and second sidewall extending from at least a portion of said top plate, said bottom wall connecting to at least a portion of said first and second side walls, said top plate, bottom wall and first and second side walls therein forming a cavity, said cavity having at least a first opening;
(b) a fixed member, said fixed member disposed in said cavity of said latch bolt housing, wherein at least a portion of said fixed member protrudes from said first opening in said latch bolt housing; and
(c) a spring means, wherein said spring means biases said latch bolt relative to said fixed member.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A latch is provided for use principally on a pivotal sash window of a double-hung sash window assembly. The latch comprises a latch-bolt slidably mounted within and biased relative to a housing, where the housing is mounted to the top rail of the sash window. The latch bolt is connected to a button for manual actuation of the latch bolt. The latch bolt, while maintaining the convenience and utility of a standard short throw latch, is contoured and designed to maintain engagement with the jam after the window has been deformed under high sustained wind loading typically experienced during extreme weather phenomena such as hurricanes and tornados. The engagement is assured in spite of twisting of the latch bolt within the corresponding opening in the jam.
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Citations
76 Claims
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1. A latch, for use in fenestration products, said latch comprising:
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(a) a latch bolt;
said latch bolt comprising a latch bolt tongue, said latch bolt tongue having a front face, said front face extending between a top surface and a bottom surface and between an outer end and an inner end, said front face having a step feature;
said latch bolt further comprising a housing, said housing comprising a top plate, a bottom wall, and first and second side walls, said first and second sidewall extending from at least a portion of said top plate, said bottom wall connecting to at least a portion of said first and second side walls, said top plate, bottom wall and first and second side walls therein forming a cavity, said cavity having at least a first opening;(b) a fixed member, said fixed member disposed in said cavity of said latch bolt housing, wherein at least a portion of said fixed member protrudes from said first opening in said latch bolt housing; and (c) a spring means, wherein said spring means biases said latch bolt relative to said fixed member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method for securing a tiltable sash window of a double-hung window assembly against high wind loads associated with hurricanes and other extreme weather phenomena, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a latch capable of resisting twist-out effect occurring as a result of convexing and the window deformation of such wind loading, said pair of latches comprising left-hand and right-hand latches to engage respective opposing side jam flanges, where said left-hand and right-hand latches comprise; (1) a latch bolt;
said latch bolt comprising a latch bolt tongue, said latch bolt tongue having a front face, said front face extending between a top surface and a bottom surface and between an outer end and an inner end, said front face having a step feature;
said latch bolt further comprising a housing, said housing comprising a top plate, a bottom wall, and first and second side walls, said first and second sidewall extending from at least a portion of said top plate, said bottom wall connecting to at least a portion of said first and second side walls, said top plate, bottom wall and first and second side walls therein forming a cavity, said cavity having at least a first opening;(2) a fixed member, said fixed member disposed in said cavity of said latch bolt housing, wherein at least a portion of said fixed member protrudes from said first opening in said latch bolt housing; and (3) a spring means, wherein said spring means biases said latch bolt relative to said fixed member. (4) a means for retracting said latch bolt, said means comprising a surface which may be contacted by a user to retract said lock bolt; (b) forming coordinated punched openings in the top rail and the stile on the left-hand side of the window frame; (c) forming coordinated punched openings in the top rail and the stile on the right-hand side of the window frame; (d) installing on the left-hand side of the sash window said left-hand twist-out resistant latch such that said groove on said front face of said tongue is in-line with the window jam flange; (e) installing on the right-hand side of the sash window said right-hand version of said twist-out resistant latch such that said groove on said front face of said tongue is in-line with the window jam flange;
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41. A latch for use in locking at least one sash of a sash window, said latch comprising:
- a latch bolt housing, said latch bolt housing comprising an installation means and a latch bolt tongue, said latch bolt tongue including a surface with an engagement feature.
- View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A latch for use in locking at least one sash of a sash window, said latch comprising:
- a latch bolt housing, said latch bolt housing comprising a top plate, a toggle button extending from said top plate, and a latch bolt tongue;
said latch further comprising a member that is slidably disposed in a cavity in said housing; and
a spring means, said spring means biasing said latch bolt housing relative to said member;
said member having a top wall, a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a rear wall, said rear wall having a recessed area for receiving a portion of a window top rail, said portion of said top rail being positioned between said top plate of said housing and said recess in said rear wall of said member;
said top wall of said member further comprising a recess for receiving a second portion of the window top rail, said second portion of said top rail being positioned between said top plate of said housing and said recess in said top wall of said member.
- a latch bolt housing, said latch bolt housing comprising a top plate, a toggle button extending from said top plate, and a latch bolt tongue;
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50. A latch for use in locking at least one sash of a sash window, said latch comprising:
- a latch bolt housing, said latch bolt housing comprising a top plate with a recess, and a latch bolt tongue;
said latch further comprising a member that is slidably disposed in a cavity in said housing; and
a spring means, said spring means biasing said latch bolt housing relative to said member, said sash of said window having a stile and a top rail, said stile having a first orifice for said latch bolt tongue to extend therefrom, and said top rail having a second orifice for receiving said housing, said first and second orifices being separated by a portion of an outer surface of said stile and a portion of an outer surface of said top rail.
- a latch bolt housing, said latch bolt housing comprising a top plate with a recess, and a latch bolt tongue;
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51. A latch, for use in locking at least one sash of a sash window, said latch comprising:
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(a) a latch bolt;
said latch bolt comprising a housing, said housing comprising at least one housing wall and a top plate, said top plate overhanging beyond said at least one housing wall, said top plate and said at least one housing wall forming a cavity with a first opening;
said top plate comprising a means of actuating said latch;
said housing further comprising a latch bolt tongue protruding from at least a portion of said at least one housing wall, said tongue protruding beyond said top plate, and said tongue comprising at least a generally flat bearing surface;(b) a member, said member comprising a top wall, and at least one side wall extending from said top wall, said member having a first end and a second end;
said top wall at said first end having a recess;
said member having an end wall at said second end that connects said top wall and said at least one side wall;
said member being slidably disposed in said cavity of said latch bolt housing, and wherein at least a portion of said second end of said member protrudes from said first opening in said latch bolt housing;
said protruding portion of said second end having a recess; and(c) a spring means, wherein said spring means biases said latch bolt relative to said member. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. A latch for use in locking at least one sash of a sash window, said latch comprising:
- a latch bolt housing, said latch bolt housing comprising a top plate with an upper and a lower surface;
a first and a second side wall extending from said lower surface of said top plate and being connected by a bottom wall;
a toggle button extending from said upper surface of said top plate; and
a latch bolt tongue, said latch bolt tongue extending from at least a portion of said first side wall and said second sidewall;
said latch further comprising a member that is slidably disposed in a cavity in said housing, said member having a top wall, a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a rear wall, said top wall also having a first end and a second end, each of said first end and said second end of said top wall having a recess therein; and
a spring means, said spring means biasing said member outward from said latch bolt housing cavity;
said recessed area at said first end of said top wall of said member for receiving a first portion of an opening in a window top rail, said first portion of said top rail opening being positioned between said top plate of said housing and said recess at said first end of said top wall;
said recessed area at said second end of said top wall of said member for receiving a second portion of said opening in said window top rail, said second portion of said top rail opening being positioned between said top plate of said housing and said recess at said second end of said top wall;
said member thus abutting said window top rail enabling said spring means to thereby biasing said latch bolt housing, with said latch bolt tongue being biased out of an opening in a stile of said window.
- a latch bolt housing, said latch bolt housing comprising a top plate with an upper and a lower surface;
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68. A method of installing a window latch for a sash window, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a latch to engage a side jam flange on a master frame of said window, where said latches comprises; (1) a latch bolt;
said latch bolt comprising a housing with a latch bolt tongue extending therefrom, said latch bolt tongue having at least a generally flat front surface, said housing further comprising a top plate, a bottom wall, and first and second side walls, said first and second sidewall extending from at least a portion of said top plate, said bottom wall connecting to at least a portion of said first and second side walls, said top plate, bottom wall and first and second side walls therein forming a cavity, said cavity having at least a first opening;(2) a member, said member comprising a top wall and at least one side wall extending from said top wall;
said top wall having a first recess at a first end and a second recess at a second end of said top wall, said member being slidably disposed in said cavity of said latch bolt housing and protruding out an opening in said housing; and(3) a spring means, wherein said spring means biases said member through said housing opening and out from said cavity, said latch bolt having one or more protrusions to limit outward travel of said member, and wherein at least a portion of said member protrudes from an opening in said latch bolt housing; (4) a means for retracting said latch bolt, said means comprising a surface on said housing which may be contacted by a user; (b) forming a pair of coordinated punched openings in said window, one of said coordinated punched openings being in a top rail of said window, and another of said coordinated punched openings being in a stile of said window; (c) inserting said latch into said coordinated punched opening in said top rail of said window, said tongue being inserted first and being inserted so as to thereafter occupy said coordinated punched opening in said stile; (d) applying pressure to oppose said bias between said housing and said member so as to compress said spring, and cause said member to be temporarily disposed within said housing cavity; (e) receiving a first portion of said punched opening in said window top rail, said first portion of said punched top rail opening being positioned between said top plate of said housing and said recess at said first end of said top wall;
receiving a second portion of said punched opening in said window top rail, said second portion of said punched top rail opening being positioned between said top plate of said housing and said recess at said second end of said top wall;(f) said member thus abutting said window top rail enabling said spring means to thereby biasing said latch bolt housing, with said latch bolt tongue being biased out of said coordinated punched opening in said stile of said window, with said generally flat surface of said latch bolt tongue being in line with said side jam flange on said master frame of said window; - View Dependent Claims (69)
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70. A latch, for use in locking at least one sash of a sash window, said latch comprising:
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(a) a latch bolt;
said latch bolt comprising a housing, said housing comprising a top plate, a first and a second housing wall extending from said top plate, said top plate overhanging beyond at least a portion of said first housing wall and said second housing wall;
said top plate further comprising a means of actuating said latch;
said housing further comprising a latch bolt tongue protruding from at least a portion of said first and second housing walls, said tongue protruding beyond said top plate and creating a recess between said tongue and at least a portion of said top plate;
said tongue comprising at least a generally flat bearing surface;(b) a member, said member comprising a first and a second member side wall, said first and second member side walls being joined by at least one connecting wall, said member having a first end and a second end;
said at least one connecting wall at said second end of said member having an end wall protruding therefrom, said end wall having a recess;
said member being slidably interconnected with said latch bolt housing; and(c) a spring means, wherein said spring means biases said latch bolt relative to said member. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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Specification