SAFETY, SELF-LATCHING, MAGNETIC GATE LATCH DEVICE

• US 20150015002A1
• Filed: 07/09/2013
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Latch Advantage LLC
• Original Assignee: Audrius Macernis
• Inventors: Macernis, Audrius
• Granted Patent: US 11,131,122 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 292/251.5
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 63/244 the striker being movable for latching, the bolt for unlatching, or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0007 for gates for wire gates E06B11/021
• 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 19/163 a movable bolt being held in the striker by a permanent magnet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/11 Magnetic

Abstract

Disclosed is a self-latching gate latch device. The device comprises a latch and a magnet assembly housing. The latch assembly housing, secured to a hinged gate, comprises a slidable horizontal latch bar, attractable by a magnet. The magnet assembly housing comprises a slidable vertical magnet bar secured with a magnet at the bottom thereof. In a lock position of the magnet bar, the latch bar engages the magnet. The magnet assembly housing further comprises a locking member that, in an engagement position, engages the magnet bar to the magnet assembly housing preventing the magnet bar from any upward movement. Within the magnet bar is disposed a lock bar, which when depressed, frees the magnet bar.

Claims

1. A self-latching magnetic gate latch device for latching a hinged gate to a barrier member, the self-latching device comprising:

(a) a latch bar assembly comprising;

(i) a latch assembly housing fitted to either the hinged gate or the barrier member; and

(ii) a horizontally-disposed latch bar slidably disposed within the latch assembly housing such that, the latch bar is axially movable from a default backward latch bar disengagement position to a forward latch bar engagement position, the latch bar biased towards the latch bar disengagement position, the latch bar attractable by a magnet;

(b) a magnet bar assembly comprising;

(i) an elongate magnet assembly housing vertically fitted to one of the hinged gate or the barrier member whereon the latch assembly housing is not fitted, the interior surface of the magnet assembly housing comprising a horizontal first engagement surface, the magnet assembly housing comprising a latch hole axially aligned with the latch bar;

(ii) an elongate vertical magnet bar comprising a magnet secured to the bottom thereof, the magnet bar slidably disposed within the magnet assembly housing such that, the magnet bar is manually vertically movable from a default downward magnet bar engagement position to an upward magnet bar disengagement position, the magnet bar biased towards the magnet bar engagement position, where the magnet, via the latch hole, is aligned with the latch bar, the magnet bar movable by manually lifting the top portion thereof, which extends beyond the top of the magnet assembly housing therethrough; and

(iii) a disengagement means disposed within the top portion of the magnet bar; and

(c) a locking member disposed in conjuction with the magnet bar, the locking member comprising a horizontal top second engagement surface, the locking member, upon the deployment of the disengagement means, is horizontally slidably movable from a forward locking member engagement position where, in the magnet bar engagement position, the second engagement surface engages the first engagement surface through the magnet rod thereby preventing the magnet bar from any upward movement, to a backward locking member disengagement position, where the second engagement surface disengages the first engagement surface thereby allowing the magnet bar to slide upwards, the locking member biased in the forward direction;

wherein, as the magnet bar is in the magnet bar engagement position and as the hinged gate and the barrier member are brought closer to each other, the latch bar, which is longitudinally aligned with the magnet in the magnet bar engagement position, as a result of the attraction force of the magnet, arrives to the latch bar engagement position, where the latch bar abuts the magnet through the magnet assembly housing thereby, latching the hinged gate and the barrier member together and wherein, as the magnet bar is lifted to the magnet bar disengagement position, the increase in the distance between the magnet and the latch bar causes the attraction force between the magnet and the latch bar to weaken resulting the latch bar retracting into the latch bar disengagement position thereby unlatching the hinged gate from the fence post.

2. The self-latching device of claim 1 wherein, the barrier member comprises a fence post.

3. The self-latching device of claim 1 wherein, the barrier member comprises another gate.

4. The self-latching device of claim 1 wherein, the disengagement means comprises an elongate vertical lock bar comprising:

(a) a thorough lateral lock hole, the horizontal axis of which is perpendicular to the vertical axis of the lock bar, the lock hole disposed between a pair of opposing flat lock hole walls integral with the lock bar, the lock bar received within a hollow of the top portion of the magnet bar wherein, the circumferential wall of the hollowed out portion of the magnet bar comprises a pair of lateral, opposing, identical wall holes, each of which, comprising a horizontal wall hole top surface, which, in the magnet bar engagement position, aligns with the first engagement surface, the lock bar is received within the hollow of the magnet bar such that, the lock hole is disposed between the pair of wall holes, the cross-sectional height of each of which, along the axis of the magnet bar, is lesser than that of the lock hole, the lock bar manually movable from a default upward lock bar engagement position to a downward lock bar disengagement position, the lock bar biased towards the lock bar engagement position; and

(b) a horizontally-disposed, elongate cylindrical cross member centrally fitted between the pair of lock hole walls such that, the cross member is perpendicular to either lock hole wall, the cross member slidably received within an elongate, thorough backwardly oblique hole disposed on the locking member wherein, as the lock bar is in the lock bar engagement position, the cross member is at the top extremity of the oblique hole causing the locking member to be at the locking member engagement position and wherein, as the lock bar, by manual operation thereof, is in the lock bar disengagement position, the cross member is at the bottom extremity of the oblique hole causing the locking member to be at the locking member disengagement position.

5. The self-latching device of claim 4 wherein, the locking member further comprises a horizontal bottom surface opposite to the second engagement surface, the locking member is received within the lock hole and laterally slidably received within the pair of wall holes as the cross member is slidably received within the oblique hole, the top and bottom surfaces of the wall holes abut the top and bottom surfaces of the locking member as the locking member is received within the pair of wall holes.

6. The self-latching device of claim 5 wherein, the side of the locking member joining the second engagement surface and the bottom surface and that is closer to the first engagement surface is forwardly oblique.

7. The self-latching device of claim 4 wherein, the magnet bar further comprises a release knob disposed on top thereof, the hollow of the magnet bar made through the release knob, the release knob for enabling a user to manually lift the magnet rod towards the magnet bar disengagement position.

8. The self-latching device of claim 4 wherein, the lock bar further comprises

(a) a top press section about which, the lock bar is manually depressed into the hollow of the magnet bar;

and

(b) a lock bar elongate section within which, the lock hole is disposed.

9. The self-latching device of claim 4 wherein, the cross member is removable.

10. The self-latching device of claim 1 wherein, the latch bar comprises a head portion disposed at an extremity thereof, the head portion to abut the magnet through the latch hole.

11. The self-latching device of claim 1 wherein, the magnet assembly housing comprises an open top removably fitted with a top cap having a central hole through which, the magnet bar extends.

12. The self-latching device of claim 11 wherein, a tubing descends from the circumference of the central hole, the tubing comprising the first engagement surface.

13. A self-latching magnetic gate latch device for latching a hinged gate to a barrier member, the self-latching device comprising:

(a) a latch bar assembly comprising;

(i) a latch assembly housing fitted to either the hinged gate or the barrier member; and

(ii) a horizontally-disposed latch bar slidably disposed within the latch assembly housing such that, the latch bar is axially movable from a default backward latch bar disengagement position to a forward latch bar engagement position, the latch bar biased towards the latch bar disengagement position, the latch bar attractable by a magnet;

(b) a magnet bar assembly comprising;

(i) an elongate magnet assembly housing vertically fitted to one of the hinged gate or the barrier member whereon the latch assembly housing is not fitted, the magnet assembly housing comprising an open top removably fitted with a top cap comprising hole central hole wherein, a tubing descends from the circular edge of the circular hole, the tubing comprising a horizontal first engagement surface, the magnet assembly housing further comprising a latch hole axially aligned with the latch bar;

(ii) an elongate vertical magnet bar comprising a release knob and a magnet secured to the top and bottom thereof respectively, the magnet bar slidably disposed within the magnet assembly housing such that, the magnet bar is manually vertically movable from a default downward magnet bar engagement position to an upward magnet bar disengagement position, the magnet bar biased towards the magnet bar engagement position, where the magnet, via the latch hole, is aligned with the latch bar, the magnet bar movable by manually lifting the release knob, which extends beyond the top of the magnet assembly housing, a portion of the length of magnet bar from the top thereof, including the release knob, being longitudinally hollowed out, the circumferential wall of the hollowed out length of the magnet bar comprising a pair of opposing identical wall holes, each of which, comprising a horizontal wall hole top surface, which, in the magnet bar engagement position, aligns with the first engagement surface; and

(iii) an elongate vertical lock bar comprising a top press section and a lock bar elongate section, the lock bar elongate section comprising a thorough lateral lock hole, the length of which, along the axis of the magnet bar, is greater than that of the wall hole, the lock hole disposed between a pair of opposing flat lock hole walls integral with the lock bar, the pair of lock hole walls centrally removably fitted with an elongate cylindrical cross member such that, the cross member is perpendicular to either lock hole wall, the lock bar received within the hollow of the magnet bar such that, the lock hole is disposed between the pair of wall holes, the lock bar, by manually depressing top press section, movable from a default upward lock bar engagement position to a downward lock bar disengagement position, the lock bar biased towards the lock bar engagement position; and

(c) a locking member comprising a horizontal top second engagement surface, a horizontal bottom surface and an elongate backwardly oblique hole, the locking member is received within the lock hole and laterally slidably received within the pair of wall holes as the cross member is slidably received within the oblique hole, the top and bottom surfaces of the wall holes abut the top and bottom surfaces of the locking member as the locking member is received within the pair of wall holes, the locking member, in the magnet bar engagement position, by the manual operation of the lock bar, horizontally movable from a forward locking member engagement position, where the top second engagement surface engages the first engagement surface thereby preventing the magnet bar from any upward movement, to a backward locking member disengagement position, where the second engagement surface of the locking member disengages the first engagement surface thereby allowing the magnet bar to slide upwards, the locking member being forwardly biased as the lock bar is biased towards lock bar engagement position, the side of the locking member joining the second engagement surface and the bottom surface and that is closer to the first engagement surface being forwardly oblique;

wherein, as the magnet bar is in the magnet bar engagement position and as the hinged gate and the barrier member are brought closer to each other, the latch bar, which is longitudinally aligned with the magnet in the magnet bar engagement position, as a result of the attraction force of the magnet, arrives to the latch bar engagement position, where the latch bar abuts the magnet through the magnet assembly housing thereby, latching the hinged gate and the barrier member together and wherein, as the magnet bar is lifted to the magnet bar disengagement position, the increase in the distance between the magnet and the latch bar causes the attraction force between the magnet and the latch bar to weaken resulting the latch bar retracting into the latch bar disengagement position thereby unlatching the hinged gate from the fence post.