Flush bolt with fliplock

• US 7,494,163 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jerry L. Monts De Oca
• Original Assignee: Jerry L. Monts De Oca
• Inventors: Monts de Oca, Jerry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Engle; Patricia L
• Assistant Examiner(s): MERLINO, ALYSON MARIE
• Application Number:
  US11/184,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20070029812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 292/137, 292/139, 292/143, 292/DIG.21, 292/DIG.46
• US Class Current: 292/143
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 1/06 with operating handle or equivalent member moving otherwise than rigidly with the bolt
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 7/045 Sliding bolts mounted on or in the edge of a normally closed wing of a double-door or -window
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/21 Individually latched double doors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/096 Sliding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1015 Link and lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/102 Lever

Abstract

A flush bolt with improved travel is disclosed. The flush bolt is composed of a housing with a slotted longitudinal cavity in its face and a bore at least partially through one end of the housing and passing far enough through the housing as to engage with the slot. A bolt is within the bore and a coupling lever is rotatably coupled to a bolt at one end and to a slotted actuator arm at a centrally located point. The slotted actuator arm is coupled at one end to the housing at a point centrally located within the longitudinal cavity so that when pivoted, the slotted actuator arm transfers its pivotal movement to angular movement in the coupling lever and, in turn, into linear motion of the bolt.

Claims

1. A flush bolt adapted for mounting on a door and operation between an engaged position with a securing surface and a disengaged position, the flush bolt comprising:

a housing, the housing having a face externally exposed when the housing is affixed to an edge of the door, the housing having an attachment means for affixing the housing to the door, the housing having a longitudinal bore starting at a first end of the housing, the longitudinal bore parallel to the face of the housing and the longitudinal bore extending through at least a portion of the housing;

a bolt slideably adapted within the longitudinal bore, the bolt having an engagement end for engaging with the securing surface and a distal connection end;

a cavity in the face of the housing;

a slotted actuator arm having a distal end and a second end, the distal end hingedly coupled to the housing within the cavity, a slot of the slotted actuator arm extending from the distal end longitudinally to a point between a mid-point of the slotted actuator arm and the second end of the slotted actuator arm; and

a coupling lever passing through the slotted actuator arm, the coupling lever passing through a longitudinal slot in the cavity, the coupling lever rotatably coupled to the slotted actuator arm at approximately the mid-point of the slotted actuator arm, an end of the coupling lever rotatably coupled to the distal connection end of the bolt, whereas rotation of the slotted actuator arm transfers angular movement to the coupling lever and results in a linear movement of the bolt;

whereas the door is protected from being forced open by high winds.

2. The flush bolt of claim 1, wherein the engagement end of the bolt is tapered.

3. The flush bolt of claim 1, wherein the cavity extends beyond the travel of the slotted actuator to provide a finger pull area.

4. The flush bolt of claim 1, wherein the second end of the slotted actuator is tapered forming a finger pull to enable lifting from the cavity.

5. The flush bolt of claim 1, wherein the housing is made of aluminum.

6. The flush bolt of claim 1, wherein the flush bolt is adapted to mount in a channel and the channel is formed from extruded metal and the channel is affixed to the edge of the door.

7. The flush bolt of claim 6, wherein the attachment means is a plurality of screws passing through the face and through the housing and into the channel.

8. The flush bolt of claim 7, wherein at least one of said plurality of screws pass through the housing and at least partially through the longitudinal bore and the bolt is narrowed for a length of the bolt that passes the at least one of said screws.

9. The flush bolt of claim 1, wherein the flush bolt is adapted to mount in a channel carved in the edge of the door, wherein the edge of the door is made of a material selected from the group consisting of wood, fiberglass and metal.

10. The flush bolt of claim 1, wherein the securing surface is selected from the group consisting of a doorframe and a door sill.

11. The flush bolt of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the slotted actuator arm is hingedly coupled to the housing within the cavity by a pin.

12. The flush bolt of claim 11, wherein the slotted actuator arm is rotatably coupled to the coupling arm by a second pin.

13. The flush bolt of claim 12, wherein the coupling arm is rotatably coupled to the distal connection end of the bolt by a third pin.

14. An apparatus for locking a door, the apparatus operating between an engaged position with a securing surface and a disengaged position, the apparatus comprising:

a housing adapted to affix to an edge of the door, the housing having a face externally exposed when the housing is affixed to the edge of the door, the housing having an attachment means for affixing the housing to the door, the housing having a longitudinal bore starting at a first end of the housing, the longitudinal bore parallel to the face of the housing and the longitudinal bore extending through at least a portion of the housing;

a bolt means slideably adapted within the longitudinal bore, the bolt means having an engagement end for engaging with the securing surface and a distal connection end;

a cavity in the face of the housing;

a slotted actuator arm having a distal end and a second end, a slot of the slotted actuator arm extending from the distal end longitudinally to a point between a mid-point of the slotted actuator arm and the second end of the slotted actuator arm, the distal end rotatably coupled to the housing within the cavity by a pin means; and

a coupling lever passing through the slotted actuator arm, the coupling lever passing through a longitudinal slot in the cavity, the coupling lever rotatably coupled to the slotted actuator arm at approximately the mid-point of the slotted actuator arm by a second pin means, an end of the coupling lever rotatably coupled to the distal connection end of the bolt by a third pin means, whereas rotation of the slotted actuator arm transfers angular movement to the coupling lever and results in a linear movement of the bolt;

whereas the door is protected from being forced open by high winds.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the engagement end of the bolt is tapered.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the cavity extends beyond the travel of the slotted actuator to provide a finger pull area.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the attachment means is a plurality of screws passing through the face and through the housing and into the edge of the door.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein at least one of the plurality of screws pass through the housing and pass at least partially through the longitudinal bore and the bolt is narrowed for a length of the bolt that passes the at least one of said plurality of screws.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the second end of the slotted actuator is tapered to enable finger pulling from the cavity.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the housing is made of aluminum.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the flush bolt is adapted to mount within a channel formed from extruded metal and the channel is affixed to the edge of the door.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the door is an inactive door of a double-door set and the flush bolt is adapted to mount within a channel within the edge of the inactive door and the edge of the inactive door and the inactive door is made from a material selected from the group consisting of wood, fiberglass and metal.

23. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the securing surface is selected from the group consisting of a door frame and a door sill.

24. A double door system comprising:

a door frame;

an inactive door hingedly coupled to the door frame at a longitudinal edge;

a flush bolt mounted in the inactive door on a second longitudinal edge, the flush bolt comprising;

a housing, the housing adapted in a door cavity within the second longitudinal edge, the housing having a face externally exposed when the housing is within the door cavity, the housing having an attachment means for affixing the housing to the second longitudinal edge, the housing having a longitudinal bore starting at a first end of the housing, the longitudinal bore parallel to the face of the housing and the longitudinal bore extending through at least a portion of the housing;

a bolt means slideably adapted within the longitudinal bore, the bolt means having an engagement end for engaging with a securing surface and a distal connection end;

a cavity in the face of the housing;

a slotted actuator arm having a distal end and a second end, a slot of the slotted actuator arm extending from the distal end longitudinally to a point between a mid-point of the slotted actuator arm and the second of the slotted actuator arm, the distal end rotatably coupled to the housing within the cavity by a pin means; and

a coupling lever passing through the slotted actuator arm, the coupling lever passing through a longitudinal slot in the cavity, the coupling lever rotatably coupled to the slotted actuator arm at approximately the mid-point of the slotted actuator arm by a second pin means, an end of the coupling lever rotatably coupled to the distal connection end of the bolt by a third pin means, whereas rotation of the slotted actuator arm transfers angular movement to the coupling lever and results in a linear movement of the bolt.

25. The double door system of claim 24, wherein the securing surface is selected from the group consisting of a door frame and a door sill.

26. The double door system of claim 24, wherein the engagement end of the bolt is tapered.

27. The double door system of claim 24, wherein the cavity extends beyond the travel of the slotted actuator to provide a finger pull area.

28. The double door system of claim 24, wherein the attachment means is a plurality of screws passing through the face and through the housing and into a channel in the inactive door.

29. The double door system of claim 28, wherein at least one of the plurality of screws pass through the housing and pass at least partially through the longitudinal bore and the bolt is narrowed for a length of the bolt that passes the at least one of said plurality of screws.

30. The double door system of claim 24, wherein the second end of the slotted actuator is tapered to enable finger pulling from the cavity.

31. The double door system of claim 24, wherein the housing is made of aluminum.

32. The double door system of claim 24, wherein the pin means is selected from the group consisting of pins and set screws.