Patent ID: 6676178
Filing Date: 2004-01-13
Classification: E05B,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A door lock assembly, comprising:a first escutcheon assembly for mounting a door lock mechanism, the first escutcheon assembly comprising: a first plate having a first through-hole; side flange portions having distal ends that lay in a mounting plane of the first escutcheon, such that when the first escutcheon is mounted on an outside vertical door surface, the distal ends contact the door surface; a first post mount formed on an inward facing side of the first plate outside the first through-hole; a first removable post that is removable coupled to the first post mount such that the first removable post is removable without permanent alteration to the first escutcheon assembly; a second post mount diametrically opposed to the first post mount and equidistant from the center of the first through-hole, a second removable post that is removably coupled to the second post mount such that the second removable post is removable without permanent alteration to the first escutcheon assembly, and a stop protruding from the inward facing side of the first plate; and wherein the first post mount extends from the inward facing side of the first plate to a position that is substantially equal to or below the distal ends; and wherein the door lock assembly further comprising a latch mechanism inserted in the first through-hole, and a handle for operating the latch mechanism; and wherein the latch mechanism comprises: a bushing having a recess on an inboard side of the bushing, a drive head on an outboard side of the bushing coupled to the handle so as to rotate with the handle without relative slip, and an off-centered protrusion protruding radially outward from the bushing; a shaft coupled with the bushing recess so as to rotate with the bushing without relative slip; and a torsion spring for centering an angular position of the handle about the first through-hole in the first escutcheon, the torsion spring including two distal ends resting against the stop, wherein at least one distal end is engaged with the off-centered protrusion of the busing, so that centering of the handle and bushing is obtained through direct coupling of the bushing to the torsion spring.