Abstract:
A combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly includes a latch; a deadbolt configured to selectively assume a first and a second configuration, the deadbolt defining a deadbolt feature; a first mechanical coupling coupled to the latch, and a second mechanical coupling that coupled the latch to the deadbolt. The second mechanical coupling may be configured such that movement of the latch causes the first mechanical coupling to move and engage the second mechanical coupling with the deadbolt feature to selectively cause a) the deadbolt to assume the first configuration, and b) cause the deadbolt to assume the second configuration.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/428,519, filed Jul. 3, 2006, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/246,783, filed Oct. 7, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,083,206, both applications of which are hereby incorporated herein in their entireties and from which priority is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C. §120. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    Embodiments of the present invention relates to door latching and locking mechanisms. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to combination door latch and deadbolt assemblies such as (but not limited to) locks on doors providing access to residential dwellings and commercial spaces. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Conventional locks having deadbolts require the user to manually lock the deadbolt. Because of this, users often forget to set the deadbolt, thereby exposing the home or apartment to entry, as even a locked door latch may be easily defeated by burglars or other undesirables. Also, people leaving their home carrying a child or packages may be more likely to leave the deadbolt in the unlocked position rather than putting the child or packages down in order to manually set the deadbolt. 
         [0006]    Conventional door locks without added deadbolts suffer from a number of disadvantages. For example, a conventional door lock may be readily defeated by a skilled person equipped with no more than a credit card. Although far more secure, deadbolts conventionally require the user to use his or her key to lock the door on leaving the house. Previous attempts to combine latches and deadbolts, allowing the deadbolt to be set as the door closes, have not enjoyed great commercial success, mainly due to their high complexity, low reliability and high cost. 
         [0007]    What are needed, therefore, are new assemblies and methods for locking and deadbolting doors. More particularly, what are needed are assemblies and methods that enable a door to be locked and deadbolted simply by closing the door. Preferably, such assemblies and methods should offer such functionality while enjoying a simple, elegant and inexpensive construction. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    According to an embodiment thereof, the present invention is a combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly. The combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly may include a latch; a deadbolt configured to selectively assume a first and a second configuration, the deadbolt defining a deadbolt feature; a first mechanical coupling coupled to the latch, and a second mechanical coupling that coupled the latch to the deadbolt. The second mechanical coupling may be configured such that movement of the latch causes the first mechanical coupling to move and engage the second mechanical coupling with the deadbolt feature to selectively cause a) the deadbolt to assume the first configuration, and b) cause the deadbolt to assume the second configuration. 
         [0009]    The second mechanical coupling may include a deadbolt pin configured to selectively engage the deadbolt feature when the deadbolt is in its first configuration and to disengage from the deadbolt feature to cause the deadbolt to transition from its first configuration to its second configuration. The deadbolt pin may define a first and a second end, the deadbolt pin defining deadbolt pin engaging structure near the first end, the second end being configured to selectively engage with and disengage from the deadbolt feature. The first mechanical coupling may define a plurality of first mechanical coupling engaging structures, the first mechanical coupling and the deadbolt pin being further configured such that movement of the latch causes the first mechanical coupling to move and the first mechanical coupling engaging structures to engage the deadbolt pin engaging structure so as to selectively a) engage the second end of the deadbolt pin with the deadbolt feature to cause the deadbolt to assume the first configuration, and b) disengage the second end of the deadbolt pin from the deadbolt feature to cause the deadbolt to assume the second configuration. The combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly may further include a first resilient member that is configured to elastically couple the deadbolt pin to a support. The first resilient member may include, for example, a first spring. The combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly may further include a second resilient member that is configured to elastically couple the deadbolt to a support. The second resilient member may include, for example, a second spring. The deadbolt feature may include a blind bore defined within the deadbolt, the blind bore being configured to receive the second end of the deadbolt pin. According to one embodiment, two rotations of the first mechanical coupling may return the combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly to a same state of operation. The combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly may include a connecting rod coupled to the latch and to the first mechanical coupling. 
         [0010]    Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for locking and deadbolting a door in a doorframe having a latch socket and a deadbolt socket, the method comprising the steps of: providing a latch; providing a deadbolt, the deadbolt defining a deadbolt feature and being configured to selectively assume a first and a second configuration; providing a second mechanical coupling between the latch and the deadbolt feature, and aligning the latch with the latch socket by closing the door, the alignment of the latch into the latch socket causing the second mechanical coupling to correspondingly act upon the deadbolt feature and the deadbolt to engage into the deadbolt socket. 
         [0011]    The second mechanical coupling providing step may be carried out with the second mechanical coupling including a deadbolt pin configured to selectively engage the deadbolt feature when the deadbolt is in a first configuration in which the deadbolt is fully disengaged from the deadbolt latch and to disengage from the deadbolt feature to cause the deadbolt to transition from its first configuration to a second configuration in which the deadbolt in fully engaged in the deadbolt latch. The deadbolt pin defines a first and a second end, the deadbolt pin defining deadbolt pin engaging structure near the first end, the second end being configured to selectively engage with and disengage from the deadbolt feature. The second mechanical coupling providing step may be carried out with the second mechanical coupling including a first mechanical coupling that defines a plurality of first mechanical coupling engaging structures, the first mechanical coupling and the deadbolt pin being further configured such that movement of the latch causes the first mechanical coupling to move and the first mechanical coupling engaging structures to engage the deadbolt pin engaging structure so as to selectively a) engage the second end of the deadbolt pin with the deadbolt feature to cause the deadbolt to assume the first configuration, and b) disengage the second end of the deadbolt pin from the deadbolt feature to cause the deadbolt to assume the second configuration. The method may further include a first resilient member providing step, the first resilient member being configured to elastically couple the deadbolt pin to a support. The first resilient member may include, for example, a first spring. The method may further include a second resilient member providing step, the second resilient member being configured to elastically couple the deadbolt to a support. The second resilient member may include, for example, a second spring. The deadbolt providing step may be carried out with the deadbolt feature including a blind bore defined within the deadbolt, the blind bore being configured to receive the second end of the deadbolt pin. The second mechanical coupling step may be carried out with the second mechanical coupling including a first mechanical coupling. For example, two rotations of the first mechanical coupling may return both the latch and the deadbolt to a same state. The second mechanical coupling providing step may be carried out with the second mechanical coupling comprising a connecting rod coupled to the latch and to the first mechanical coupling. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a view of the combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly in a configuration in which the door (not shown) is closed but the deadbolt is cocked, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly in a next configuration in its operation cycle, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly in a third configuration, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly in a fourth configuration, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0017]    According to embodiments of the present invention, a door may be automatically latched and deadbolted (i.e., locked, with the deadbolt set and fully engaged) merely by shutting the door with the latch set to lock. According to an embodiment thereof, the present invention is a mechanical device that is configured to combine the conventional functions of the two major types of door locks; namely a conventional lock that can automatically close through the action of its latch and be securely locked with the deadbolt as the door is closed without having to separately actuate a dead bolt lock that requires that a key be used from the outside each time the door is secured. 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a view of the combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly, with the latch and the deadbolt in respective first positions, according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this view, the deadbolt has been re-cocked and the latch is not yet opened, as would be required to open the door. As shown therein, the combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly  100  may include a latch  102  having a first and a second end. The first end of the latch  102  may be configured to extend within an opening defined within a latch plate  106  and within an aligned opening defined within a latch striker plate  110 . The latch striker plate  110  may be mounted to a door frame (not shown). The present combination automatic latch and deadbolt assembly  100  may also include a wheel  114  that may include a number of gear teeth  116 . The wheel  114  may be coupled to the latch  102  by a connecting rod  112  such that motion of the latch  102  pushes and pulls on the connecting rod  112  so as to cause the wheel  114  to rotate about its center. Note that, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the wheel  114  is equipped with gear teeth  116  over only a portion of its circumference, although other embodiments may be envisaged in which the wheel  114  is equipped with gear teeth  116  over its entire circumference. A dead bolt pin, shown at reference numeral  120  in  FIG. 1 , may include a number of deadbolt pin gear teeth  118 . The deadbolt pin  120  may have the same number, a greater number or a lesser number of gear teeth  118  as the number of gear teeth  116  of the wheel  114 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the deadbolt pin  120  has the same number of gear teeth  118  as the number of gear teeth  116  on the wheel  114 . The deadbolt pin  120  and the wheel  114  may be mutually disposed such that the deadbolt pin gear teeth  118  may engage the gear teeth  116  of the wheel  114 . The wheel gear teeth  116  and the deadbolt pin gear teeth may alternatively be configured as cogs or most any other functionally equivalent interlocking structural feature, as those of skill in this art may recognize. The deadbolt pin  120  may be resiliently coupled to a stationary support (not shown) by means of a first resilient member  122  such as, for example, a first spring. The deadbolt pin  120  may be configured to move along its longitudinal axis over a predetermined distance under the action of the first resilient member  122  and/or the turning gear teeth  116  of the wheel  114 . The deadbolt pin  120  may extend and engage within an appropriately sized blind bore defined within a deadbolt  104 . The blind bore defined within the deadbolt  104  is best shown at reference numeral  105  in  FIGS. 2-5 . The motion of the deadbolt pin  120  may be constrained by fitting it within a cylindrical opening only slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of the deadbolt pin  120 . 
         [0019]    The deadbolt  104  may also define a first end and a second end. The first end of the deadbolt  104  may be configured to extend within an opening defined within a deadbolt plate  108 . The deadbolt plate  108  may be mounted to the door (not shown in  FIGS. 2-5 ) or may be mounted on the door frame. The second end of the deadbolt  104 , opposite the first end, may be resiliently coupled to a stationary support (not shown) by a second resilient member  124  such as, for example, a second spring. The automatic latch and deadbolt assembly  100  in  FIG. 1  appears as it would just after the deadbolt  104  is retracted and just before the latch  102  is withdrawn to open the door. In this view, the gear teeth  116  of the wheel  114  are positioned just past the mating deadbolt pin gear teeth  118 , having allowed the deadbolt pin  120  to be pushed up by the first resilient member  122  into the blind bore defined in the deadbolt  104 . This effectively cocks the deadbolt  104 . Note that the automatic latch and deadbolt assembly  100 , according to an embodiment of the present invention, may require two revolutions of the wheel (one for each completed withdrawal and extension of the latch  102 ) to again pull the deadbolt pin  120  from its blind bore  105 . 
         [0020]      FIGS. 2-5  collectively show an exemplary mode of operation of the combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is understood that variations in the structure of the present combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly may require corresponding changes in the mode of operation thereof, as those of skill in this art may appreciate. It is also to be understood that a resilient member such as a spring (not shown) constantly pushes the latch  102  to the left in this illustration. Turning now to  FIG. 2 , the combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly is shown in a configuration in which the first end of the latch  102  is extended, meaning that the first end of the latch  102  extends through the opening in the edge of the door. In this state, the latch has not yet contacted the striker plate which will force it back into the door against its spring (not shown). Moreover, in the configuration of  FIG. 2 , the first end of the deadbolt  104  is withdrawn, meaning that the first end of the deadbolt  104  does not extend through the opening defined within the latch plate  108 . Since the deadbolt  104  may not be extended and will prevent the door from closing if it is extended, the deadbolt  104  here is restrained by the pin  120 , which keeps it withdrawn. The configuration shown in  FIG. 2  may be called the starting point, and corresponds to what is arbitrarily called zero degrees of rotation. Unlocking the door with the present combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly is, in this but not all embodiments, a matter of withdrawing and cocking the deadbolt  104  and then withdrawing the latch  102 , opening the door, and releasing the latch  102 , leading to the state described in  FIG. 3  and in which the door to which the present combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly is coupled is opened, with the latch  102  extended. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly in a next state of operation, according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this configuration, the latch  102  is in its retracted configuration, and is pushed in against its spring (not shown) by the latch striker plate  110  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) as the door is closed, for example. As the door closes and the latch  102  is pushed in by the latch striker plate  110 , the motion of the latch  102  is transferred to the connecting rod  112  pivotally coupled thereto. As the wheel  114  may be coupled to the connecting rod  112 , and may be fixed at its center so as to allow rotation, the wheel  114  may be forced to rotate about its center, in this case in a clockwise direction. According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the latch  102  is fully extended (e.g., at or near the end of its intended range of motion), the wheel  114  may have been caused to rotate about  180  degrees from its initial configuration of  FIG. 1 . In this state and according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in the drawings, the gear teeth  116  of the wheel  114  have not yet engaged the deadbolt pin gear teeth  118 . In both  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the first resilient member  122  is in its extended configuration, thereby maintaining the deadbolt pin  120  securely engaged within the blind bore  105  defined within the deadbolt  104 . 
         [0022]    As the latch  102  comes up to its extension into the opening defined within the latch striker plate  110  (but is forced fully backward against its spring by the striker plate  110 ), the embodiment  100  of the present combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly may come to assume the configuration shown in  FIG. 3 . In  FIG. 3 , the contact between the latch  102  in a closing door and the latch striker plate  110  has pushed the latch back  102 . The door is not yet fully closed and is neither latched nor deadbolted. A characteristic of embodiments of the present invention is to actuate the deadbolt  104  (cause it to assume its released configuration) just at the instant that the fully extended latch  102  implies that the deadbolt  104  is fully aligned with its socket in the doorpost.  FIG. 4  below shows the moment in which the latch  102  begins to fall into its socket, propelled by its spring (present but not shown in the drawings for clarity of illustration). As shown in  FIG. 3 , according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the latch  102  has traveled about halfway to its fully extended configuration, the connecting rod  112  has been pulled such that the wheel  114  coupled thereto has rotated clockwise about 45 degrees, and the gear teeth  116  thereof are about to engage the corresponding deadbolt pin gear teeth  118 . According to an embodiment of the present combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly  100 , the gear teeth  116  of the wheel  114  have not yet engaged with the deadbolt pin gear teeth  118  and have not yet acted upon the deadbolt pin  120 . However, as the gear teeth  116  of the wheel continue their clockwise rotation, they may engage the deadbolt pin gear teeth  118 . As they do so, they will exert a force on the deadbolt pin  120  that may eventually overcome the biasing force imparted thereon by the first resilient member  122  and begin a motion that will cause the free end thereof to disengage from the blind bore  105  defined within the deadbolt  104  while compressing the first resilient member  122 . This configuration is shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the wheel  114  may have rotated about 225 degrees from its starting position, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . At this state in the operating cycle of the present combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly, the gear teeth  116  of the wheel  114  have engaged their counterparts deadbolt pin gear teeth  118 , beginning to pull the deadbolt pin  120  out of the blind bore  105  defined within the deadbolt  104  which keeps the deadbolt  104  cocked. The motion continues, the latch reaches its full extension, the deadbolt pin  120  is withdrawn from the blind bore  105  into which it was previously engaged, the deadbolt  104  is released, and the second resilient member  124  seats the deadbolt in its socket. The door is now securely locked and deadbolted, with the only action by the householder being to shove the door closed. A significant feature of embodiments of the present invention is the release of the deadbolt  104  automatically just as the falling latch  102  confirms that the door has closed to the point where the deadbolt  104  is completely aligned with its socket. The mechanical logic in this present mechanism insures that the release of the deadbolt happens at an appropriate moment. 
         [0024]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly in a fourth configuration, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly  100  is now in the end state of its operating cycle, with the door fully locked and deadbolted. In this view, the latch  102  is in its fully extended configuration and the deadbolt  104  is in its released configuration. Opening the door, with the unlocking first re-cocking the deadbolt, return the combined automatic latch and deadbolt assembly  100  the state shown in  FIG. 1 . As the combined deadbolt and latch assembly  100  assumes the configuration of  FIG. 5 , the rotation of the wheel  114  eventually causes the deadbolt pin  120  to fully disengage from the blind bore defined within the deadbolt  104 . As the second resilient member  124  may, as shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , be in compression, when the deadbolt pin fully clears the blind bore  105 , the deadbolt may be free to travel in a constrained path so as to extend through the deadbolt plate  108 , as it is driven by the force imparted thereon by the expanding second resilient member  124 . The second resilient member, as shown in  FIG. 5  may then be in an expanded configuration. In this configuration, the present embodiment of the combined deadbolt and latch assembly  100  is such that the first ends of both the latch  102  and of the deadbolt  104  have extended through the latch striker plate  110  and the deadbolt plate  108 , respectively. When the deadbolt is manually opened (with a key, for example), the deadbolt is pushed back to its starting position, as shown in  FIG. 1 , in which the deadbolt pin is fully engaged within the blind bore  105 . In the configuration shown in  FIG. 5 , the wheel  114  may have traveled about a full rotation, about 360 degrees. 
         [0025]    According to an embodiment, the first and second resilient means  122 ,  124  may readily be replaced by electromechanical actuators. Such electromechanical actuators may be fed control signals from a controller. In turn, the controller may include a human interface that enables the user to, for example, input a combination (through a keypad, for example) to enable operation of an embodiment of the present combination deadbolt and latch assembly. Those of skill in this art may also recognize that user-input combinations may be replaced with other biometric devices to uniquely identify specific authorized users, and all such variations and embodiments are deemed to fall within the purview of the present inventions. 
         [0026]    According to embodiments of the present invention, a single key in a single lock and a turn of the door handle may retract both the latch  102  and the deadbolt  104 , as the two may be mechanically coupled, as discussed above. This action allows the deadbolt  104  to be self-locking as the door is closed. Embodiments of the present invention may be configured and set such that one cannot forget to lock the deadbolt  104  of the present combination deadbolt and latch assembly  100 , as the deadbolt  104  may be automatically engaged as the door is closed. Although embodiments of the present combined deadbolt and latch assembly readily find utility for residential locks on home doors, embodiments of the present invention may be advantageously deployed in any situation requiring a secure locking of a door. For example, a garage door may be equipped with an embodiment of the present invention, as could any building, container (such as a shipping container) or vehicle having lockable doors. 
         [0027]    Advantageously, the present combined deadbolt and latch assembly may be configured to automatically engage the deadbolt  104  when the door (or lid of a container) is closed, thus helping the resident who forgets to throw the deadbolt manually and also the person who has his or her hands full when exiting the door. The extra security more than compensates for the extra cost of the lock, which may be configured so as to require very few additional moving parts than most latch and deadbolt door locks.