Tilt latch with cantilevered angular extension

• US 8,336,927 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2008
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vision Industries Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Vision Industries Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Liang, Luke, Liang, Toug, Chen, David, Liang, Toni
• Primary Examiner(s): ESTREMSKY, GARY WAYNE
• Application Number:
  US12/228,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20100038918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,593 Days
• Field of Search: 292/163, 292/175, 292/DIG.47, 292/DIG.53
• US Class Current: 292/163
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/06 for swing doors or windows, i.e. opening inwards and outwards
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0876 cooperating with the slide guide, e.g. the rail
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 9/08 Fastening locks or fasteners or parts thereof, e.g. the casings of latch-bolt locks or cylinder locks to the wing on glass wings E05B65/0025
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 1/10 with operating handle or equivalent member rigid with the latch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/08 Bolts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0969 Spring projected

Abstract

A latch is provided for use on a pivotable sash window of a single-hung or double-hung sash window assembly to releasably secure the window to the master frame. The latch comprises a latch-bolt slidably mounted within, and biased relative to a housing. The housing is adapted to be installed into the top rail of the sash window through an opening in the stile and top rail, which has a periphery contoured to match the housing end profile. The latch bolt, while maintaining an aesthetically appealing external appearance, is configured to incorporate a cantilevered member which only becomes visible when biased to an angled position where it maintains engagement of the latch housing with the edge of the top wall of the rail during window deformation resulting from high wind loading. The cantilevered member ensures integrity of the latch installation under high wind load conditions typically experienced during extreme weather phenomena.

Claims

1. A latch, for use in a sash window of a single-hung or double-hung window assembly, said latch comprising:

a housing, said housing comprising;

a top plate;

a first side wall, a second side wall, and a rear wall connecting to said first and second side walls, said first and second side walls and said rear wall each extending down from said top plate and being connected at a distal end by a bottom wall to form at least a first opening into a cavity;

said top plate extending a distance beyond at least said first and second side walls; and

said housing further comprising one or more cantilevered members being integral with a portion of said first side wall and having a vertex on said first side wall being in a vertical direction, said housing further comprising a first protrusion protruding from said second side wall and a second protrusion protruding from said rear wall, said cantilevered member having a resilient connection with said first side wall to bias said cantilevered member to be angled with respect to a portion of said first side wall so that a free end of said cantilevered member, being distal from said vertex, extends beyond said top plate, said cantilevered member having a protrusion extending away from a side of said cantilevered member;

said first protrusion on said first wall, said second protrusion on said rear wall, and said protrusion on said cantilevered member being generally offset the same amount from a bottom surface of said top plate;

a latch bolt, said latch bolt disposed in said cavity of said housing wherein at least a portion of said latch bolt protrudes from said first opening in said housing; and

a spring, said spring biasing said latch bolt into an extended position.

2. The latch according to claim 1 wherein said back wall is curved.

3. The latch according to claim 1 wherein said bottom wall further comprises a retaining tab.

4. The latch according to claim 3 wherein said retaining tab protrudes down from said bottom wall.

5. The latch according to claim 4, wherein said bottom wall and said retaining tab are constructed of resilient material.

6. The latch according to claim 4 wherein a gap is formed between said bottom wall and at least a portion of the periphery of said retaining tab.

7. The latch according to claim 6 wherein said gap between said bottom wall and said portion of the periphery of said retaining tab permits flexing of said retaining tab.

8. The latch according to claim 4 wherein said retaining tab is near said first opening in said housing.

9. The latch according to claim 1 wherein said latch further comprises a means for retracting said latch bolt.

10. The latch according to claim 1 wherein said spring comprises a compression spring.

11. The latch according to claim 1 wherein said spring comprises a tension spring.

12. The latch according to claim 1 wherein said housing further comprises a stop, said stop located on said housing to contact a latch bolt feature to limit said biasing of said latch bolt in said extended position.

13. The latch according to claim 1 wherein said vertical vertex of said cantilevered member is at a position on said first side wall being between a first end of said first side wall proximate to said housing first opening, and said rear wall.

14. The latch according to claim 13 wherein said vertex of said cantilevered member is more preferably at a position on said first side wall being between said first end of said first side wall and a midpoint of said first side wall.

15. The latch according to claim 1 wherein said cantilevered member is biased out from a recess in said first side wall;

and wherein said housing further comprises a second opening in said recess and said cantilevered member of said housing further comprises a second protrusion extending generally parallel with said cantilevered member, said second protrusion of said cantilevered member capable of nesting within said second opening when said cantilevered member is in positioned approximately parallel to said housing.

16. A latch, for use in a sash window of a single-hung or double-hung window assembly said latch comprising:

a housing, said housing comprising;

a top plate, one or more walls having a first end being connected to and extending away from said top plate, and a bottom wall connecting at least a portion of a second end of said one or more walls to form a cavity;

said one or more walls comprising a first opening into said cavity at a first end of said housing;

said top plate overhanging beyond said one or more walls;

said housing further comprising;

a cantilevered member being integral with a portion of said one or more walls and having a vertex on a first side of said housing being in a vertical direction, a first protrusion on said one or more walls protruding from a second side of said housing, and a second protrusion on said one or more walls protruding from a second end of said housing, said cantilevered member having a resilient connection with said one or more housing walls to bias said cantilevered member to be angled with respect to a portion of said one or more walls so that a free end of said cantilevered member, being distal from said vertex, extends beyond said overhanging portion of said top plate, said cantilevered member having a protrusion extending away from a side of said cantilevered member;

a latch bolt, said latch bolt being slidable within said housing cavity between a retracted position and an extended position where at least a portion of said latch bolt protrudes from said first opening in said housing; and

a spring, said spring biasing said latch bolt into said extended position.

17. The latch according to claim 16, wherein said vertical vertex of said cantilevered member is at a position on said first side of said one or more housing walls being between said housing first end and said housing second end.