Abstract:
A flush mounted latch for a sliding panel or pocket door includes a snap-in, installation, from the edge of the panel or door. A slide handle operates a pair juxtaposed, pivoting, keeper-engaging, hooks to open them. The handle carries a lock rod which is engaged by a privacy knob operated from the inside of the latch or a lock cylinder/lock plug operated from the outside of the latch. A case/housing encloses the latch mechanism with two walls. Each case wall has side top-edge flanges that seat on respective face of the door. A plurality of screws and threaded studs are utilized to adjust the distance between the two opposing flanged housing walls to accommodate variances in door thickness. A first gasket seals the case/housing adjacent its outside wall. A second gasket seals the case housing and slide handle adjacent the inside wall. Cover plates are included on both sides of the latch.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention is directed to latches used for sliding panels and pocket doors, especially those found on boats, recreational vehicles (RVs) and travel trailers and the like. Generally, such latches are required to have a low profile, fit flush with the respective inside and outside surfaces of the sliding door or panel and operate easily with a twist or a sliding operator motion to open and close the latch.  
         [0002]     Usually, the external dimensions of the door guide frame define the thickness of the door to be mounted therein. The thickness of the door, in turn, defines the size of the recess in the door to which to mount a lock or latch. This profile must leave room for the protrusion of a key lock on the outside and a privacy switch or knob on the inside.  
         [0003]     In most instances the thickness of a latch or lock was defined by the thickness of a door panel. One lock would fit a door of only a specific thickness. In the past this limited the applications of a particular lock or latch.  
         [0004]     Locks/latches were made adaptable to a wider variety of door thicknesses by utilizing shim plates or spacer structures. Generally, a shim plate would be placed between the outside face of the latch case and the inside wall of the cavity cut into the door. This produced a rather unfinished installation which would then require a cover plate with a filler wall that would extend into the cavity or cutout cut in the door. When the cutout in the door was uniformly sized the shim plate would build out the outside face of the casing and would require special mounting cover plates that engage the case and shim plate.  
         [0005]     Spacers have been used to space apart the respective inside and outside faces of a latch case in order to make the case thicker to fit a thicker door. This requires not only a variety of case screws, but also a design of the internal operating components which operate equally as well without the internal case spacer/expander, and with expenders of different sizes.  
         [0006]     Generally these latches have been mounted into a cavity or cutout in a door panel with mounting screws. Even where a mounting bracket has been engaged, that mounting bracket has been used with mounting screws.  
         [0007]     None of the prior art latches and locks have been made water proof or weather resistant which is a particularly advantages feature on boats and with RVs and travel trailers where little over hangs or weather sashing is encountered.  
         [0008]     It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a latch for a sliding panel or pocket door that is quickly and easily installed with a snap in installation.  
         [0009]     It is also an objective of the present invention to provide this latch with the ability to be easily adjusted to differing door thicknesses without exchanging or adding parts or changing the operation of the latch.  
         [0010]     It is further an objective of the present invention to provide weather proofing or water sealing to this latch.  
         [0011]     It is even further an objective of the present invention to provide all of these features in a low profile flush mounted latch.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     The objectives of the present invention are realized in a flush mounted latch for a sliding panel or pocket door, of the type often installed on boats, RV&#39;s and travel trailers. The latch of the present invention fits into a cutout opening extending from the keeper-proximate, edge of the door. A pronged receiver bracket is first placed into a specially prepared installation cutout. The latch structure slides into the cutout and snaps into place by engaging hook members on the prongs of the bracket. When interlocked therewith, the latch structure is fixedly held within the cutout.  
         [0013]     The latch structure includes a case having an outside cover plate and an inside guide plate for a slidable operating plate carried thereon. Side top-edge flanges on each case plate of the latch structure engage the respective outside faces of the door about the cutout opening. Adjustment screws move the inside and outside plates of the case together to create a tight installation by bringing the flanges into pressure contact with the door face around the cutout. Cover plates, carried one each on a respective inside and outside case plate, dress the installation including the door edge.  
         [0014]     The operating plate rides between parallel longitudinal flanges on the inside case guide plate. An enlarged opening in each of the inside and outside case plates permits access to the operating plate and an operating distance movement for a handle for the operating plate. The latch structure includes both an inside and outside pocket or cup-type handle mounted into the operating plate and utilized to operate the latch from either side of the door. The individual ones of this pair of handles are offset from one another to permit a narrower profile.  
         [0015]     The operating plate is spring biased to a closed position. An operator slides either the inside handle or the outside handle away from the door edge to operate the latch to permit disengagement with a doorjamb keeper in order to open the door.  
         [0016]     A juxtaposed pair of hooks or hook-shaped pawls are pivotally positioned to operate in tandem at the door jamb proximate end of the latch. These hooks jointly engage a bar shaped keeper on the doorjamb, and are spring biased to the closed or locked position. The hooks each include an outer tab that is engaged by a respective tab on the operating plate. When the operating plate is moved (slid) in a direction away from the doorjamb end of the latch, the each hook is simultaneously pulled and rotated to the open position, thereby opening the latch.  
         [0017]     The operating plate has two projecting posts or lock rods on its end opposite the doorjamb end. The latch includes a lock plug or lock cylinder extending through its outside case plate. This lock plug includes a follower ring with an offset tab. The offset tab is positioned to intercept one of the lock rods when the lock cylinder is rotated to the locked position. The latch also includes a rocker switch or privacy knob mounted through its inside case plate. The rocker switch intercepts the other lock rod when in the locked position. Either the lock plug follower arm or the privacy knob structure can be selectively moved to intercept the movement of the projecting post or lock rod. When this occurs the operating plate cannot be moved to pull on the hooks to open the latch. Thereby the latch is locked.  
         [0018]     The latch is made weather or water resistant by utilizing two gaskets. The first gasket is U-shaped and positioned between the outside case plate and the inside case guide plate&#39;s parallel flanges. The second gasket is bladder shaped and covers the inside pocket handle opening and extends about the rocker switch, privacy knob. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]     The features, advantage and operation of the present invention will become readily apparent and further understood from a reading of the following detailed description with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like elements, and in which:  
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a door panel, receiver bracket and latch assembly;  
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the receiver bracket in the door panel ready to receive the latch assembly;  
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is a outside view of the latch snapped into a flush mounting on a door panel;  
         [0023]      FIGS. 4   a  through  4   e  are various views of the latch assembly showing its external features;  
         [0024]      FIG. 5  is a perspective exploded view of the latch assembly showing its components and their respective locations;  
         [0025]      FIGS. 6   a  through  6   e  are various views of the inside or privacy knob side cover plate;  
         [0026]      FIGS. 7   a  through  7   d  are various view of the sliding operating plate;  
         [0027]      FIG. 8  is a perspective partial cut-away view of the latch assembly from the inside or rocker switch/privacy knob side of the latch and showing the latch in the locked position;  
         [0028]      FIG. 9  is a perspective partial cut-away view of the latch assembly form the inside and showing the latch in the unlocked position;  
         [0029]      FIG. 10   a  is a partial cutaway, cross-sectional view of the inside handle when the latch in the closed position;  
         [0030]      FIG. 10   b  is a partial cutaway, cross-sectional view of the inside handle when the latch is in the open/opened position;  
         [0031]      FIG. 11  is a partial cutaway, cross-sectional view showing partially the inside handle, the lock plug and the first and second gaskets in the area of the lock plug;  
         [0032]      FIG. 12  is an outside view of the latch assembly with the cover plate and outside case/housing wall removed, thereby showing the first or U-shaped gasket;  
         [0033]      FIG. 13  is a perspective outside view of a sliding panel approaching a keeper jamb, with the outside cover plate and outside case wall removed to show the twin pawls/hooks in the open position;  
         [0034]      FIG. 14  is a perspective outside view of the structure of  FIG. 13  with the twin hooks engaging the keeper whereby the panel is latched closed. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0035]     The present invention is a flush mount sliding panel latch with snap in installation, weather-proofing, and selective door width adjustment. A sliding panel or pocket door  21 ,  FIG. 1 , is prepared with a shaped cutout  23  for receiving and holding a U-shaped receiver bracket  25 . The shape of the cutout  23  follows the shape of the bracket  25  and allows for space for a movement of the bracket  25  arms. The lead-in portion  27  of the cutout  23  opens onto the door edge. This lead-in portion  27  is narrowed to the width of the latch assembly  29  that is slid into position,  FIG. 2 , from the door edge, once the receiver bracket  25  is positioned in place.  
         [0036]     While essentially U-shaped, the bracket  25  has a relatively flat back arm  31  with a pair of spring-type ribbon-shaped side arms  33 . Each side arm  33  of the bracket  25  carries a hook  35  at its free end with an inward projection and a flush outer face. A bump-out shoulder  37  extends outwardly from the back arm  31  at the bend in the bracket  25  where it turns into the side arms  33 . These bump-out shoulders  37  seat in receiving pockets  39  formed as part of the shaped cutout  23 . Thereby, the bracket  25  is securely held in position in the cutout  23  of the door.  
         [0037]     Once the latch assembly  29  is slid in the cutout  23  to be in locked engagement with the bracket  25 , the latch assembly  29  becomes fully seated on the door panel  21 ,  FIG. 3 , so that the keeper-engaging end  49  of the assembly  29  is flush with the door  21  edge.  FIG. 3  shows the outside of the latch assembly  29 , with an outside cover plate  41 , a lock plug  43  extending above the outside cover  41 , and a pocket-shaped outside handle  45  operating though an opening  47  (seen in  FIG. 5 ) in the outside cover  41 .  
         [0038]     The latch assembly  29  can be seen in various views in  FIGS. 4   a - 4   e .  FIG. 4   a  shows the outside face of the latch assembly  29  where of the outside pocket handle  45  is positioned offset from the center of the latch and closer to the keeper engaging end  49 .  FIG. 4   b  shows the inside face of the latch assembly  29 , with the inside cover plate  51 . An inside pocket handle  53  is positioned offset from the center of the latch and closer to the lead-in or distal end  53  of the latch assembly  29 . Adjacent the distal end  53 , and positioned to be outboard of the lock plug  43  located on the outside face, is a privacy knob/rocker switch  57 .  
         [0039]     The latch assembly  23  includes a pair of juxtaposed, tandem operating pawls  59  in the shape of hooks. These hooks  59  are located within the assembly and inboard from the outboard edge of the keeper-engaging end of the latch assembly  29 .  
         [0040]     The operating mechanism of the latch assembly is held within and by a case which will be discussed further below. The members of the case have a rectangular opening  59  on each side of the case,  FIG. 4   c  to be engaged by the hooks  35  at the end of the side arm  33  of the receiver bracket  25 .  
         [0041]      FIG. 5  is an exploded assembly view of the latch assembly  29 , with the inside being at top of the view and the outside being at the bottom of the view. The latch case is assembled from an outside wall  61  having two, opposed, longitudinally extending, slotted, orthogonally formed flanges  63 , which cooperate with other structure discussed below to form the side walls of the latch case. The case outside wall  61  includes an opening  65  of a size and position to align with the outside cover opening  47  when the outside cover  41  is mounted onto the outside case wall  61 . A half-circle cutout  67  at the distal end of the outside wall  61  accommodates the extension of the MIM-type lock plug  43  into a MIM housing which snap mounts to the distal end of the case inside wall  71 . Spring tab clips having spring hooks  73  in the each side of the MIM housing  69  engage a respective clip hole  75  in a opposed, longitudinally extending, orthogonally formed flanges  77 , which cooperate with the inside wall flanges  63  to form the side walls of the latch case.  
         [0042]     The case inside wall  71  carries an opening  79  which aligns with the opening  47  in the inside cover plate  51 . The inside wall flanges  77  formed as part of the case inside wall are also slotted. The second slot  59   a  inward from the keeper-engaging end on the slotted side flanges  63  aligns with the second slot  59   b  in from the keeper-engaging end of the slotted side flanges  77  to form the rectangular openings  59  into which the receiving bracket  25  hooks  35  project to lock the case and thereby the latch assembly  29  into position.  
         [0043]     The side flanges  77  of the case inside wall  71  are crimped over inwardly to each form an L-shaped channel  81 . An operating plate or shuttle  83  slides within the side flanges  77  and rides on the crimped wall portions forming the L-shaped channels  81 . The shuttle has two pockets, an inside pocket  85  near the distal end of the shuttle plate  83 , and an outside pocket  87  near the keeper engaging end of the shuttle plate  83 .  
         [0044]     The keeper-engaging end of the shuttle plate carries three rounded cutouts which permit the movement of the shuttle plate  83  with respect to the pawl hook structure. A first, smaller cutout  89  (or rounded slot) on the longitudinal centerline of the shuttle plate  83  accommodates the shuttle  83  movement with respect to a pin or hook bolt  91  which assures the alignment and tandem operation of the pair of juxtaposed keeper engaging hooks  93 . These hooks  93  are the latch&#39;s pawls.  
         [0045]     The second and third cutouts  95 ,  97 , are larger, identical and spaced outboard of the centerline cutout  89 . These cutouts  95 ,  97  accommodate the shuttle  83  movement with respect to hook pivot pin or pivot bolts  99  and  101 . The hooks  93  each include an open journal  103  in which a respective one of the pivot bolts  99 ,  101 , extend.  
         [0046]     A respective bushing  105  creates the slide interface with the slotted shuttle plate  83 . Each bushing includes a neck projection that extends into a respective one of the second and third cutouts  95 ,  97  (or rounded slots). The pin hook bolt  91 , and the hook pivot pin bolts  99  and  101  are each thread mounted or peen-mounted to the appropriate receiving holes in the case outside wall  61 .  
         [0047]     The lock plug  43  carries on its inside end a follower ring  109  with an offset tab  111  which when rotated to a lock position, locks the operation of the shuttle plate  83 .  
         [0048]     The rocker switch  57  carries a pair of feet  113 , one of which locks the operation of the shuttle plate  83  when the switch is moved to the lock position.  
         [0049]     The slotted flange sidewalls  63  on the case outside wall  61  are slightly outboard of the slotted flange sidewalls  77 . A U-shaped gasket extends between the sidewalls of the outside and inside case walls  61 ,  71 , and under the MIM housing  69  to form a water barrier.  
         [0050]     A bladder-shaped gasket  117  is shaped to receive the inside pocket handle  53  and extend through the inside cover opening  47  and case inside wall opening  79  into the shuttle plate  83  inside pocket  85 . This bladder gasket also has a face that extends over to and about the privacy knob or inside rocker switch  57 . This inside bladder gasket  117  forms a water barrier.  
         [0051]     The case inside wall  71  is held to the outside wall  61  by four internally threaded flush bolts  119 , each received and held to the case outside wall  61 ; and by four screw fasteners  121  which screw into the receiving threads of the flush bolts  119 .  
         [0052]     The case outside wall  61  and inside wall  71  each have a side projecting top face flange,  123  and  125 , respectively. These top face flanges  123 ,  125 , extend outside of the respective slotted side flanges  63 ,  77  and grip the side edges of the door pane  21  shaped cutout  23  as the screws  121  are tightened and the two case walls  61 ,  71  are drawn closer together.  
         [0053]     Each of the outer and inner covers,  41 ,  51  have a pair of inwardly projecting flat tabs  127 . These tabs dress the keeper engaging end of the latch assembly  29  and leave and opening for a keeper to extend into the latch assembly  29  to engage the hooks  93 .  
         [0054]     Each hook  93  has a tab  129  outwardly projecting in the direction of the wall  71  slotted side flange  77 . The keeper-engaging end of the shuttle plate  83  has two outer corner tabs  131  formed to extend othogonally inwardly from the top face of the shuttle plate. There is an open space  151  behind each corner tab  131 . The hook tabs  129  extend, respectively, into the adjacent shuttle plate opening  151 .  
         [0055]     When either the outside or inside pocket handles  41 ,  53  are slide toward the distal end  55  of the latch assembly  29 , the shuttle tabs  131  engage the respective hook tabs  129  thereby causing each hook  93  to rotate open to release a keeper held between the hooks  93 . When the shuttle plate  83  is moved towards the keeper engaging end  49  of the latch assembly, the respective open space  151  avoids an engagement with the respective hook tabs  129  by the shuttle plate  83 .  
         [0056]     A pair of compression springs  133  bias the shuttle plate to the closed position away from the distal end. A torsion spring with hook engaging finger is mounted on each pivot bolt  101  to bias each hook to the closed position. These torsion springs are not shown. A hook  93  closed position is where the hook tab  129  is away from the distal end  55 .  
         [0057]     The latch assembly  29  is mounted to the sliding panel or sliding door  21  from the keeper adjacent edge by being slid into the shaped cutout  23  to engage the receiver bracket  25  seated with the cutout  23 . This is done by sliding the case, with its wall flanges  123 ,  125  on the outside of the door  21  faces. The outside cover plate  41  is previously mounted to the case outside wall  61  and is carried onto the door  21  with the latch assembly  29 . The inside cover plate  51  remains not yet installed.  
         [0058]     Once the retainer bracket two hooks  35  snap into the case side two rectangular openings  59 , the latch assembly is fully seated into the door  21  cutout  23 . The thickness adjustment screws  121  are then tightened to tighten the case top face flanges  123 ,  125  against the inside and outside faces of the door  21 . This completes the installation, except for the mounting of the inside cover plate  51  which is mounted to the case inside wall  71  by four small cover mounting screws  135 .  
         [0059]     The inside cover plate  51  is shown in greater detail in  FIGS. 6   a - 6   e . The overall shape of the inside cover plate  51  is reasonably identical to the outside cover plate  41 . The exceptions are the location of the pocket handle opening  47 , the position and shape of the rocker switch opening  137 , the four mounting screw  135  holes  137 , and the lock state indicator opening  141 .  
         [0060]     The operating shuttle plate  83  is shown in greater detail in  FIGS. 7   a - 7   d . The offset of the inside  85  and outside  87  pockets permits a thinner (i.e., narrower) profile for the shuttle plate  83 . The shuttle tabs  131  for engaging the hook  93  tabs  129  are shown to extend inwardly, orthogonal to the top face of the shuttle plate  83 .  
         [0061]     A first, longer, lock rod  143  extends longitudinally from the distal end of the shuttle plate  83  (with the distal end being opposite the keeper engaging end carrying the rounded slots  89 ,  95  and  97 . This lock rod  143  is positioned to the left side of the longitudinal centerline of the shuttle plate  83  when viewed looking at the inside pocket  85  face.  
         [0062]     A second, shorter, lock rod  145  extends parallel to the first lock rod  143  at the distal end of the shuttle plate  83 , but is positioned to the left of the centerline thereof.  
         [0063]     The first lock rod  143  is intercepted by a foot  113  on the rocker switch  57 , when the rocker switch  57  is in the locked position. The second lock rod  145  is intercepted by the offset tab  111  on the follower ring  109 , when the lock plug  43  is in the locked position.  
         [0064]      FIGS. 8 and 9  show a partial cutaway view of the latch assembly  29  in the locked and unlocked positions, respectively. In the locked state,  FIG. 8 , the shuttle plate  83  first lock rod  143  abuts the foot  113  of the rocker switch  57 . In the unlocked state,  FIG. 9 , the foot  113  of the rocker switch  57  is below the first lock rod  143  and the shuttle plate is free to move towards the distal end  55  of the latch assembly  23 . This permits the pocket handle  53  to be moved towards the distal end  55  to move the shuttle plate  83  with it and to pull the hooks  93  to the rotated open position.  
         [0065]      FIG. 10   a  shows the inside handle  53  in the closed position, i.e., spring biased with the engage shuttle inside pocket  85  away from the distal end  55  of the latch assembly  29  with the latch assembly not being operated. One of the shuttle plate biasing compression springs  133  is shown to ride on one of the lock rods  145 . This second lock rod  145  extends through a bore style opening in the MIM housing  69  to project into a location of the rotatable follower ring  109 . The first lock rod  143  carries the other shuttle biasing spring and likewise extends through the MIM housing  69  to the distal outside end of the housing  69  to the location of the rocker switch  57 .  
         [0066]     The relative positions of the U-shaped gasket  115  and the bladder-shaped gasket  117  are shown in the detail of  FIG. 11 . These gaskets  115 ,  117  both reside at a location near or adjacent the inside door  21  facing of the case walls  61 ,  71 . This means that weather generated water may enter the interior of the case of the latch assembly  29 , but will not run into the inside cover  51  location, but will run out the keeper engaging end  49  opening.  
         [0067]      FIG. 12  shows a cutaway view from the outside of the door  21  showing the assembly and relative positions of the rocker switch  57  (in dashed lines—phantom), the MIM housing  69  carrying the lock plug  43 , the handle outside pocket  87  in the shuttle plate  83  in the in-operative or closed latch position. The hooks  93  forming the keeper-engaging pawl are closed. The U-shaped gasket  115  location, and the location of the of the first and second lock rods,  143 ,  145  and the compression biasing springs  133 .  
         [0068]      FIGS. 13 and 14  are each partial cutaway views that show the sliding panel door  21 , operating with a doorjamb  147 , having a bar-shaped or rectangular pin shaped keeper  149 . In  FIG. 13 , the jaws of the hooks  93  in the open position form the door to be pulled open by sliding to the right.  
         [0069]      FIG. 14  shows the door  21  with the latch assembly  23  latched against the doorjamb  147 , and the hooks  93  engaging the keeper  149 .  
         [0070]     The keeper  149  engagement head  149   a  is spade-shaped with ramp surfaces  149   b  on each outside face. When the door  21  is pulled to slide towards the doorjamb  147 , the shuttle plate  83  will move towards the keeper-engaging end  49  of the latch assembly  29  a short distance. The open spaces  151  will allow the hooks  93  to each be forced open against the force of their biasing spring by the ramped surfaces  149   b  of the keeper head  149 , thereby allowing the hooks  93  to grab onto the keeper engagement head.  
         [0071]     Many changes can be made in the above-described invention without departing from the intent and scope thereof. It is therefore intended that the above description be read in the illustrative sense and not in the limiting sense. Substitutions and changes can be made while still being within the scope and intent of the invention and of the appended claims.