Mortise lock status indicator

• US 6,938,445 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2003
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sargent Mfg Co (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: Sargent Mfg Co (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Huang, Richard Hai
• Primary Examiner(s): Gall, Lloyd A.
• Application Number:
  US10/400,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20040187533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 701/07, 704/32, 70D/IG.59
• US Class Current: 70/107
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 41/00 Locks with visible indication as to whether the lock is locked or unlocked indicator lights E05B17/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 70/59 Lock with indicator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5226 Combined dead bolt and latching bolt
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8027 Condition indicators

Abstract

A conventional mortise lock is provided with a visual status indicator to show whether the room is occupied or vacant. The mortise lock output, which operates the deadbolt, is used to linearly move an indicator slide positioned on the outside of the door by a rotating indicator spindle which is in communication with the mortise lock output and indicator slide. The visual status indicator has an opening which is covered by a transparent high strength, impact resistant material such as LEXAN plastic. A preferred embodiment combines the outer lever door handle controller and visual status indicator in a single housing.

Claims

1. A mortise lock having a high security and tamper proof visual status indicator to show whether a door is locked or unlocked comprising:

a door having an outside and an inside;

a mortise lock positioned in the door comprising outer and inner handles for extending or retracting a latch, a mortise lock input on the outside of the door for changing the mortise lock from an unlocked to locked position employing a deadbolt and a mortise lock output in communication with the lock input for extending or retracting the deadbolt, a deadbolt throw lever blade shaft extending from the inside of the door which shaft extends into the mortise lock output;

a visual status indicator comprising a rotatable indicator spindle axially aligned with the deadbolt throw lever, a housing having a top, bottom an right and left sides and an indicator slide in the housing wherein one end the indicator spindle is inserted in the mortise lock output and the other end is in communication with the indicator slide which slide moves linearly horizontally sideways between the right and left sides of the housing in response to the rotation of the mortise lock output and the indicator spindle when the door is locked or unlocked and which shows whether the door is locked or unlocked through an opening in the indicator.

2. The mortise lock of claim 1 wherein the indicator slide is contained in a lower rectangular recess of a body having an upper triangular recess and a lower rectangular recess, a hub plate having one end in the triangular recess and the other end in the rectangular recess, the end in the triangular recess having an opening to accommodate the indicator spindle and which spindle rotates the hub plate when the mortise lock output is rotated to lock or unlock the lock and the rotating hub plate linearly moves the indicator slide linearly horizontally sideways between the right and left sides in rectangular recess of the housing changing the visual indicator to locked or unlocked depending on the position of the deadbolt.

3. The mortise lock of claim 1 wherein the outer handle and visual status indicator are combined in a single housing.

4. The mortise lock of claim 2 wherein the hub plate is in the shape of a figure eight.

5. The mortise lock of claim 1 wherein a plastic window shield disk is employed between the opening in the indicator and the indicator slide.