Electromechanical keeper
First Claim
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1. An electromechanical keeper comprising:
- a base plate adapted for being mounted to an underlying surface;
a catch member pivotally supported by said base plate, said catch member being movable between open and closed positions, said catch member being adapted to engage a latch pawl of a latch when said catch member is in said closed position and said catch member not being engageable by the latch pawl when said catch member is in said open position, said catch member having a cavity, said cavity in said catch member having an opening, said catch member having an extension that has a surface that is flush with said opening of said cavity in said catch member; and
a solenoid supported by said base plate, said solenoid having a solenoid shaft that is movable from an extended position to a retracted position responsive to said solenoid being energized, said solenoid shaft engaging said cavity in said catch member to thereby retain said catch member in said closed position when said solenoid shaft is in said extended position, said solenoid shaft being disengaged from said cavity in said catch member such that said catch member is free to move from said closed position to said open position when said solenoid shaft is in said retracted position,wherein said extension functions to prevent said solenoid shaft from interfering with pivotal movement of said catch member toward said closed position,wherein said catch member moves pivotally about an axis of rotation, said solenoid shaft has a longitudinal axis, and said axis of rotation of said catch member is parallel to said longitudinal axis of said solenoid shaft,wherein the electromechanical keeper further comprises a receptacle adapted to matingly receive a matching jack for the connection of control signal lines using the matching jack to thereby provide control signals to said solenoid, andwherein said catch member is in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped having an elongated cylinder joined to it, said elongated cylinder and said rectangular parallelepiped each having a longitudinal axis, said elongated cylinder being joined to said rectangular parallelepiped with said longitudinal axis of said rectangular parallelepiped being parallel to said longitudinal axis of said elongated cylinder.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electromechanical keeper is disclosed that includes a base plate adapted for being mounted to a flat surface, a catch member pivotally supported by the base plate, and a solenoid having a solenoid shaft. The catch member is adapted to engage the pawl of a latch when the catch member is the closed position and the catch member is not engageable by the latch pawl when the catch member is in the open position. The solenoid shaft engages a cavity or bore in the catch member to retain the catch member in the closed position. The solenoid shaft disengages from the cavity or bore in the catch member to allow the catch member to rotate to the open position when the solenoid is energized.
42 Citations
65 Claims
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1. An electromechanical keeper comprising:
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a base plate adapted for being mounted to an underlying surface; a catch member pivotally supported by said base plate, said catch member being movable between open and closed positions, said catch member being adapted to engage a latch pawl of a latch when said catch member is in said closed position and said catch member not being engageable by the latch pawl when said catch member is in said open position, said catch member having a cavity, said cavity in said catch member having an opening, said catch member having an extension that has a surface that is flush with said opening of said cavity in said catch member; and a solenoid supported by said base plate, said solenoid having a solenoid shaft that is movable from an extended position to a retracted position responsive to said solenoid being energized, said solenoid shaft engaging said cavity in said catch member to thereby retain said catch member in said closed position when said solenoid shaft is in said extended position, said solenoid shaft being disengaged from said cavity in said catch member such that said catch member is free to move from said closed position to said open position when said solenoid shaft is in said retracted position, wherein said extension functions to prevent said solenoid shaft from interfering with pivotal movement of said catch member toward said closed position, wherein said catch member moves pivotally about an axis of rotation, said solenoid shaft has a longitudinal axis, and said axis of rotation of said catch member is parallel to said longitudinal axis of said solenoid shaft, wherein the electromechanical keeper further comprises a receptacle adapted to matingly receive a matching jack for the connection of control signal lines using the matching jack to thereby provide control signals to said solenoid, and wherein said catch member is in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped having an elongated cylinder joined to it, said elongated cylinder and said rectangular parallelepiped each having a longitudinal axis, said elongated cylinder being joined to said rectangular parallelepiped with said longitudinal axis of said rectangular parallelepiped being parallel to said longitudinal axis of said elongated cylinder. - 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)
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28. An electromechanical keeper comprising:
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a base plate adapted for being mounted to a surface; a catch member pivotally supported by said base plate, said catch member being movable between open and closed positions, said catch member being adapted to engage a latch pawl of a latch when said catch member is in said closed position and said catch member not being engageable by the latch pawl when said catch member is in said open position, said catch member having a cavity, said catch member moving pivotally about an axis of rotation, said catch member being in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped having an elongated cylinder joined to it, said elongated cylinder and said rectangular parallelepiped each having a longitudinal axis, said elongated cylinder being joined to said rectangular parallelepiped with said longitudinal axis of said rectangular parallelepiped being parallel to said longitudinal axis of said elongated cylinder, said rectangular parallelepiped forming a pawl-engaging portion of said catch member; a torsion spring, said torsion spring biasing said catch member toward said closed position, said torsion spring having coils, wherein said portion of said catch member that is formed by said elongated cylinder is longer than said pawl-engaging portion of said catch member thereby forming a cylindrical projection, and wherein said coils of said torsion spring are positioned around said cylindrical projection; and a solenoid supported by said base plate, said solenoid having a solenoid shaft that is movable from an extended position to a retracted position responsive to said solenoid being energized, said solenoid shaft having a longitudinal axis, said solenoid shaft engaging said cavity in said catch member to thereby retain said catch member in said closed position when said solenoid shaft is in said extended position, said solenoid shaft being disengaged from said cavity in said catch member such that said catch member is free to move from said closed position to said open position when said solenoid shaft is in said retracted position. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. An electromechanical keeper comprising:
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a base plate adapted for being mounted to a surface, said base plate having a pair of pillars that are spaced apart from one another, each of said pillars having a first bore, said first bore in each of said pair of pillars being in alignment with said first bore in the other of said pair of pillars; a catch member pivotally supported by said base plate, said catch member being movable between open and closed positions, said catch member being adapted to engage a latch pawl of a latch when said catch member is in said closed position and said catch member not being engageable by the latch pawl when said catch member is in said open position, said catch member having a cavity, said catch member moving pivotally about an axis of rotation, said catch member having a longitudinal bore; a pivot pin passing through said longitudinal bore in said catch member to thereby pivotally connect said catch member to said base plate, wherein said catch member fits between said pair of pillars such that said longitudinal bore of said catch member is in alignment with said first bore of each of said pair of pillars, wherein said pivot pin is positioned through said longitudinal bore of said catch member and the first bore in each of said pair of pillars in order to pivotally connect said catch member to said base plate, and wherein said catch member has a projection that abuts one of said pair of pillars when said catch member is in said closed position to thereby prevent the catch member from overshooting said closed position as said catch member rotates toward said closed position; and a solenoid supported by said base plate, said solenoid having a solenoid shaft that is movable from an extended position to a retracted position responsive to said solenoid being energized, said solenoid shaft having a longitudinal axis, said solenoid shaft engaging said cavity in said catch member to thereby retain said catch member in said closed position when said solenoid shaft is in said extended position, said solenoid shaft being disengaged from said cavity in said catch member such that said catch member is free to move from said closed position to said open position when said solenoid shaft is in said retracted position. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. An electromechanical keeper for use in securing a door in the closed position, the electromechanical keeper comprising:
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a base plate adapted for being mounted to a surface; a catch member pivotally supported by said base plate, said catch member being movable between open and closed positions, said catch member being adapted to engage a latch pawl of a latch when said catch member is in said closed position and said catch member not being engageable by the latch pawl when said catch member is in said open position, said catch member having a cavity, said cavity member moving pivotally about an axis of rotation; a solenoid supported by said base plate, said solenoid having a solenoid shaft that is movable from an extended position to a retracted position responsive to said solenoid being energized, said solenoid shaft having a longitudinal axis, said solenoid shaft engaging said cavity in said catch member to thereby retain said catch member in said closed position when said solenoid shaft is in said extended position, said solenoid shaft being disengaged from said cavity in said catch member such that said catch member is free to move from said closed position to said open position when said solenoid shaft is in said retracted position; a receptacle for the connection of control signal lines using a matching jack to thereby provide control signals to said solenoid; a circuit board; and a micro-switch, said micro-switch being positioned such that it is actuated by said solenoid shaft when said solenoid shaft reaches said retracted position, said micro-switch communicating with said circuit board, said circuit board also communicating with said solenoid and said receptacle, said micro-switch being actuated by said solenoid shaft when said solenoid shaft reaches said retracted position to generate a signal that indicates a time when energizing of said solenoid was initiated, said solenoid being controlled by said circuit board such that said solenoid is energized for a first predetermined period of time to allow the door to be opened and than said solenoid is not energized again within a following second predetermined period of time to prevent overheating of said solenoid. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63)
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64. A method of operating an electromechanical keeper for use in securing a door in the closed position comprising the steps of:
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Providing an electromechanical keeper comprising; a base plate adapted for being mounted to a surface; a catch member pivotally supported by said base plate, said catch member being movable between open and closed positions, said catch member being adapted to engage a latch pawl of a latch when said catch member is in said closed position and said catch member not being engageable by the latch pawl when said catch member is in said open position, said catch member having a cavity, said catch member moving pivotally about an axis of rotation; a solenoid supported by said base plate, said solenoid having a solenoid shaft that is movable from an extended position to a retracted position responsive to said solenoid being energized, said solenoid shaft having a longitudinal axis, said solenoid shaft engaging said cavity in said catch member to thereby retain said catch member in said closed position when said solenoid shaft is in said extended position, said solenoid shaft being disengaged from said cavity in said catch member such that said catch member is free to move from said closed position to said open position when said solenoid shaft is in said retracted position; a circuit board; and a micro-switch, said micro-switch being positioned such that it is actuated by said solenoid shaft when said solenoid shaft reaches said retracted position; monitoring a signal generated when said micro-switch is actuated by said solenoid shaft reaching said retracted position that indicates a time when energizing of said solenoid was initiated; controlling said solenoid by said circuit board such that said solenoid is energized for a first predetermined period of time to allow the door to be operated; and controlling said solenoid by said circuit board such that subsequently said solenoid is not energized again within a following second predetermined period of time. - View Dependent Claims (65)
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Specification