Patent ID: 6666486
Filing Date: 2003-12-23
Classification: E05B,E05C,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A slide bolt unit for releasibly locking a door or the like in a closed position, said slide bolt unit comprising:a housing defining an elongated slide channel; an elongated slide bolt carried by said housing for sliding movement along said slide channel between advanced and retracted positions for respectively locking and unlocking the door; an end cap mounted on said housing at one end thereof, said end cap defining a slide port for slide-through reception of said slide bolt; an actuator tab carried by said slide bolt and extending laterally therefrom through a position control slot formed in said housing, said actuator tab being movable between a first position engageable with said housing to prevent slide movement of said actuator tab along said position control slot to correspondingly prevent displacement of said slide bolt along said slide channel, and a second position slidably movable along said position control slot for displacing said slide bolt along said slide channel between said advanced and retracted positions; and spring means for urging said actuator tab normally to said first position, said actuator tab being manually operable by fingertip depression for displacement from said first position to said second position, and for manually displacing said actuator tab while in said second position along said position control slot; said position control slot defining an elongated central slot segment extending between a pair of comparatively wider notches formed at opposite ends thereof, and wherein said actuator tab defines at least one lock shoulder for engaging an associated one of said notches when said actuator tab is in said first position, said actuator tab further defining a relatively narrow slotted track sized to permit sliding movement of said actuator tab along said central slot segment when said actuator tab is in said second position, and further wherein said spring means urges said at least one lock shoulder into sliding engagement with said housing during movement of said slide bolt between said advanced and retracted positions to provide a relatively small surface contact area with correspondingly minimal running friction therebetween.