Patent Abstract:
What has been developed is a keyless door lock that prevents young children from opening doors their parents or caretakers do not wish them to open. The lock is a bolting mechanism type lock or a latching type lock having no keyed lock access side to it, but rather, a means for locking and unlocking the lock, such as a knob, on one or both sides of the door that when turned, unlocks the door. The lock is positioned within the door at a height that is unreachable by small children. The lock is useful for locking doors internal to the home (e.g., doors to medicine closets, cleaning supply closets, garage doors, doors at the top of stairs) as well as doors that provide access to the exterior of the home and therefore access to leave the premises of the home without supervision. Adults and older children, however, are never locked in or out of the room or house as no key is required for operating the lock, merely the turning of a knob.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates generally to the fields of mechanical engineering and child safety. More particularly, the invention relates to a keyless lock for doors.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     All too often parents have discovered that their small children are able to unlock and open a door to the outside of the home or a door at the top of a stairway. To avoid devastating accidents that can occur when children open doors that are not to be opened by them, parents have resorted to installing a lock on the inside surface of the door that requires the use of a key to unlock and open the door. This presents a significant inconvenience to everyone in the home who uses the door, as the key to the lock can be easily misplaced. Such a lock also presents a safety hazard in the case of fire, for example, when the lock key is not readily available and the occupants of the home, possibly panicked, are obstructed or prevented from exiting the home. A need exists for a door lock that allows adults and older children to easily operate the lock while precluding small children from doing so.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     What has been developed is a keyless lock for doors that prevents young children from opening doors their parents or caretakers do not wish them to open. An exemplary keyless lock of the invention is a dead-bolt type lock having no keyed lock access side to it, but rather, a knob or handle on one or both sides of the door that when turned, locks or unlocks the door. The lock is positioned within the door at a height that is unreachable by small children (e.g., at least about 1.5 meters). The keyless lock can be used to lock hinged and sliding doors. The lock is compatible for doors for interior rooms of a home as well as for doors that provide access to the exterior of the home and therefore access for small children to leave the premises of the home without supervision. Adults and older children, however, are not locked in or out of the room or house as no key is required for operating the lock, merely the turning of a knob.  
         [0004]     Accordingly, the invention features a door having a keyless lock. This keyless lock includes a first means for locking and unlocking the lock and a second means for locking and unlocking the lock, the first means positioned on the interior surface of the door and the second means positioned on the exterior surface of the door. The first and second means are positioned on the door at a distance from the bottom of the door of at least about 1.5 meters. The first and second means for locking and unlocking the lock can include a knob and a handle. The door can be a hinged door as well as a sliding door.  
         [0005]     In another aspect, the invention features a kit for locking a door. This kit includes (a) a keyless lock including a first means for locking and unlocking the door and a second means for locking and unlocking the lock that when installed in the door, the first means is positioned on the interior surface of the door and the second means is positioned on the exterior surface of the door, and (b) printed instructions for installing the keyless lock in the door at a distance from the bottom of the door of at least about 1.5 meters. The first and second means for locking and unlocking the lock can include a knob and a handle. The door can be a hinged door as well as a sliding door.  
         [0006]     Also within the invention is a method for locking a door. This method includes the steps of: (a) providing a door, (b) providing a keyless lock installed within the door, the keyless lock including a first means for locking and unlocking the lock and a second means for locking and unlocking the lock, the first means positioned on the interior surface of the door and the second means positioned on the exterior surface of the door, and (c) manipulating the first or the second means for locking and unlocking the lock. The first and second means for locking and unlocking the lock can include a knob and a handle. The door can be a hinged door as well as a sliding door.  
         [0007]     Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although systems, materials and devices similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, suitable systems, materials, and devices are described below. All publications, patent applications, patents and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In case of conflict, the present specification, including definitions, will control. In addition, the systems, materials, and devices are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting. Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, and from the claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective front view of a door having a keyless lock of the invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a first embodiment of a keyless lock.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the lock being in an unlocked position.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the lock being in a locked position.  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of a second embodiment of a keyless lock.  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is a front view of the keyless lock of  FIG. 5  in a locked position.  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is a front view of the keyless lock of  FIG. 5  in an unlocked position.  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a sliding door having the keyless lock of  FIGS. 5-7  mounted thereon.  
         [0016]      FIG. 9  is a perspective front view of a third embodiment of a keyless lock.  
         [0017]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a sliding door having the keyless lock of  FIG. 9  mounted thereon. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]     In brief overview, referring to  FIG. 1 , a first exemplary embodiment of a keyless door lock  20  is shown mounted in a hinged door  10 . An operator locks and unlocks the door by manipulating a means for locking and unlocking the lock. The means for locking and unlocking the lock can be any graspable implement, such as a handle or a knob. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-10 , the means for locking and unlocking the lock is knob  25 , and to lock and unlock the door, one simply grasps the knob  25  and turns it in the appropriate direction. The lock  20  can include one means for locking and unlocking the lock (e.g., knob  25 ) mounted to one side of the door  10 , but preferably includes a first and a second means for unlocking the lock (e.g., two knobs  25 ), the first means mounted to the interior surface of the door and the second means mounted to the exterior surface of the door  10 . Having first and second means for unlocking and locking the lock is preferable because this allows the lock  20  to be operated from either side of the door  10 . The knob  25  can be any type of graspable implement but is preferably one that is easy to grasp and turn. The knob  25  can be made of any suitably rigid material, including metal, metal alloy, plastic, and composite materials thereof. The lock  20  is positioned at an adequate distance  22  from the ground such that a small child cannot reach the lock  20 . An adequate distance  22  from the ground is at least about 1.5 meters (e.g., 1.4, 1.45, 1.5, 1.55, 1.6, 1.65, 1.7, 1.75, 1.8, 1.83, 1.9, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2 meters).  
         [0019]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , one embodiment of a keyless lock  20  includes several components for mounting and operating the lock  20 . Mounted inside the door  10  is a locking bolt housing  60  having an aperture  65  for receiving a connecting means  55 . A locking bolt  70  is disposed within the locking bolt housing  60  when the lock  20  is in a locked position but moves at least partially out of the locking bolt housing  60  when the lock  20  is in a locked position. The locking bolt  70  is moved in and out of the locking bolt housing  60  via a connecting means  55  and a knob  25 . The locking bolt  70  and knob  25  are operably connected by the connecting means  55 . In this embodiment, the connecting means  55  is shown as a ribbed connecting rod  55 . Any suitable device or component for operably connecting the knob  25  to the locking bolt  70 , however, can be used. The connecting rod  55  has a first end that is attached to the knob  25  and a second end that protrudes through the aperture  65  in the locking bolt housing  60 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the knob  25  is attached to the first end of the connecting rod  55  by screws  35  that are screwed into screw holes  30  of the knob  25 . A decorative plate  50  is preferably installed between the connecting rod  55  and the knob  25  in order to conceal any hole made in the door  10  by the installation of the connecting rod  55 . The decorative plate  50  has a central aperture  40  through which the first end of the connecting rod  55  is disposed so that it can be attached to the knob  25 . The decorative plate  50  can be attached to the door  10  by any suitable means but in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the plate  50  is attached to the door  10  via two screw holes  45  and screws that are driven therethrough.  
         [0020]     The locking bolt  70  shown in  FIG. 2  has a cavity at one end which features a series of teeth  75  for engaging the ribbed connecting rod  55 . The locking bolt  70  also includes a chamber housing a spring  73  that is positioned mostly interior to the chamber when the locking bolt  70  is positioned within the locking bolt housing  60  but that is urged out of the chamber when the locking bolt  70  is moved from the locking bolt housing  60 . When the locking bolt  70  is disposed within the locking bolt housing  60 , the spring  73  is positioned slightly out of the chamber and contacting the interior wall of the locking bolt housing  60  such that the spring  73  seats the locking bolt  70  firmly within the locking bolt housing  60 .  
         [0021]     When the locking bolt  70  is moved from inside the locking bolt housing  60  it moves towards the portion of the door frame  15  (or door jamb or wall) that is disposed opposite to the keyless lock  20 . A mounting plate  85  having a central bore  80  therein is rigidly mounted to this portion of the door frame  15  (or door jamb or wall) for receiving the locking bolt  70 . The mounting plate  85  is rigidly mounted to the door frame  15  (or doorjamb or wall) via any suitable mounting means (e.g., screw holes  90  and screws driven therethrough).  
         [0022]     The mechanism by which the keyless lock  20  of  FIGS. 1 and 2  operates is illustrated in the cross-sectional views of  FIGS. 3 and 4 .  FIG. 3  illustrates a keyless lock  20  in an unlocked position in which the locking bolt  70  is disposed entirely within the locking bolt housing  60 . The second end of the connecting rod  55  is shown positioned within the locking bolt  70  cavity having a series of teeth  75 . The ribs of the ribbed connecting rod  55  mate with the spaces between the teeth  75 , thereby forming a gear in which the movement of the locking bolt  70  is caused by rotating the ribbed connecting rod  55 . The connecting rod  55  is rotated via manipulation of the knob  25 , i.e., turning the knob from a resting position. When the connecting rod  55  is rotated in the direction of the arrow in  FIG. 3 , the ribs of the connecting rod  55  grip the teeth  75  of the locking bolt  70  and the connecting rod  55  moves in the direction of the arrow while it urges the locking bolt  70  out of the locking bolt housing  60 . As the locking bolt  70  is urged from the locking bolt housing  60 , the locking bolt  70  is urged into the central bore  80  of the mounting plate  85  ( FIG. 4 ), thereby locking the door. To unlock the door, the connecting rod  55  is rotated in the opposite direction and the movement of the locking bolt  70  is reversed, disposing the locking bolt  70  within the locking bolt housing  60 . In addition to the dead bolt-type lock described above, any bolt mechanism (e.g., spring-loaded or other mechanism) can be used in a keyless lock of the invention. In addition to the mounting plate for receiving the locking bolt described above, a keyless lock of the invention can be mounted to a door, door frame, or door jamb by any suitable mounting means.  
         [0023]     Another exemplary embodiment of a keyless lock  20  is shown in  FIG. 5 . The keyless lock  20  of  FIG. 5  is preferred for use with a sliding door, including, for example, sliding glass doors that are often found at the rear side of houses having swimming pools. The keyless lock  20  is shown mounted in a sliding door  100  in  FIG. 8 . In this embodiment, the keyless lock  20  includes a housing  120  mounted within the door  100 . The housing  120  is operably connected to a latching means  105  having a body  113 , an aperture  115  having multiple grooves, the aperture  115  central to the body  113 , and a hook-shaped arm  110  via a connecting means  55 . The latching means  113  is rotated back and forth between a locked position and an unlocked position via a knob  25  and the connecting means  55 . In this embodiment, the connecting means  55  is shown as a ribbed connecting rod  55 . Any suitable device or component for connecting the knob  25  to the latching means  105 , however, can be used. The connecting rod  55  has a first end that is attached to the knob  25  and a second end that protrudes through the multi-grooved aperture  115  of the latching means  105  and into the housing  120 . The knob  25  is attached to the first end of the connecting rod  55  by any suitable means (e.g., screws  35  that are screwed into screw holes  30  of the knob  25 ).  
         [0024]     The keyless lock  20  shown in  FIG. 6  also has a securing means  125  having a body  130  and a member  140  extending from the body  130  for securing the hook-shaped arm  110  of the latching means  105 . The securing means  125  is rigidly mounted to the appropriate portion of the door frame  15  (or doorjamb or wall) disposed opposite to the keyless lock. The securing means  125  is rigidly mounted to the door frame  15  (or door jamb or wall) via any suitable means (e.g., screw holes  135  and screws  145  driven therethrough). The lock  20  is positioned at an adequate distance  22  from the ground (e.g., 1.5 meters) such that a small child cannot reach the lock  20 . The lock  20  can include one means for locking and unlocking the lock (e.g., knob  25 ) mounted to one side of the door  10 , but preferably includes a first and a second means for unlocking the lock (e.g., two knobs  25 ), the first means mounted to the interior surface of the door and the second means mounted to the exterior surface of the door  10 . Having first and second means for unlocking and locking the lock is preferable because this allows the lock  20  to be operated from either side of the door  10 . The knob  25  can be any type of graspable implement but is preferably one that is easy to grasp and turn. The knob  25  can be made of any suitably rigid material, including metal, metal alloy, plastic, and composite materials thereof.  
         [0025]     Operation of the keyless lock  20  shown in  FIGS. 5 and 8  is illustrated in  FIGS. 6 and 7 .  FIG. 6  illustrates a keyless lock  20  in a locked position in which the hook-shaped arm  110  of the latching means  105  is disposed on the member  140  extending from the body  130  of the securing means  125 . The first end of the connecting rod  55  is shown positioned within the multi-grooved aperture  115  central to the body  113  of the latching means  105 . In this embodiment, the ribs of the ribbed connecting rod  55  mate with the grooves of the aperture  115 , thereby forming a gear in which the rotation of the latching means  105  is coupled to the rotation of the ribbed connecting rod  55 . The connecting rod  55  and latching means  105  are rotated via manipulation of the knob  25 , i.e., turning the knob from a resting position. When the connecting rod  55  is rotated clockwise, the ribs of the connecting rod  55  catch in the grooves of the aperture  115  of the body  113  of the latching means  105  and lift the hook-shaped arm  110  away from the member  140  ( FIG. 7 ) so that the hook-shaped arm  110  is no longer secured to the securing means  125 , thereby unlocking the door. To lock the door, the knob  25  is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, thereby securing the hook-shaped arm  110  to the member  140  extending from the body  130  of the securing means  125 .  
         [0026]     A variation of the keyless lock of  FIGS. 5-8  is illustrated in  FIG. 9 . In this embodiment, the keyless lock  20  includes a housing  120  mounted within a door. The housing  120  is operably connected to a knob  25  and a latching means  105  having a body  113  with a central aperture  115 , and a hook-shaped arm  110 . A portion of the knob  25  is passed through the aperture of the latching means  105  and protrudes into the housing  120 . The knob  25 , latching means  105 , and housing  120  are all securely connected such that rotating the knob  25  also rotates the latching means  105  and the housing  120 . The keyless lock  20  shown in  FIG. 9  also has a securing means  125  having a body  130  and a member  150  extending from the body  130  for receiving the arm  110  of the latching means  105 . The securing means  125  is rigidly mounted to a portion of the door frame (or door jamb or wall) disposed at essentially the same distance from the ground as the knob  25 . The securing means  125  is rigidly mounted to the door frame (or door jamb or wall) by any suitable means. The latching means  105  is rotated back and forth between a locked position and an unlocked position via turning of the knob  25 . By rotating the knob  25  such that the arm  110  of the latching means  105  is disposed within the 150 member for receiving the arm  110  of the latching means  105 , the lock  20  is engaged and the door cannot be opened.  
         [0027]      FIG. 10  illustrates another embodiment of the keyless lock  20  of  FIG. 9  mounted in a sliding door  100 . In this embodiment, the securing means  125  is rigidly mounted to the portion of the door frame  15  (or door jamb) as shown.  
         [0028]     A keyless lock of the invention is used to lock a door without requiring a key and without allowing small children to operate the lock. The invention thus provides a kit and a method for locking a door. An exemplary kit of the invention includes a first means for locking and unlocking the lock and a second means for locking and unlocking the lock that when installed in the door, the first means is positioned on the interior surface of the door and the second means is positioned on the exterior surface of the door. The kit also includes printed instructions for installing the keyless lock in the door at a distance from the bottom of the door of at least about 1.5 meters. An exemplary method of locking a door includes the steps of: (a) providing a door, (b) providing a keyless lock installed within the door, the keyless lock comprising a first means for locking and unlocking the lock and a second means for locking and unlocking the lock, the first means positioned on the interior surface of the door and the second means positioned on the exterior surface of the door, and (c) manipulating the first or the second means for locking and unlocking the lock.  
         [0029]     From the foregoing, it can be appreciated that the keyless lock of the invention provides a system for preventing young children from opening doors while providing unfettered access to older children and adults. While the above specification contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as examples of preferred embodiments thereof. Many other variations are possible. For example, the means for locking and unlocking the lock can be any suitable device in addition to a knob, including a handle or other graspable implement. As other examples, the knob may have a different shape, the connecting means can have a different shape, the locking bolt may have a different means for engaging the connecting means, and the spring may have a range of tensions. Different movements may be required to engage the means for locking and unlocking the lock (e.g., knob) and different movements of the means for locking and unlocking the lock (e.g., knob) may be required to cause the retraction of the locking bolt. Also, different securing and mounting arrangements can be used. Different techniques may be used to connect various components to one another. Such techniques may include, for example, molding, welding, use of adhesives, and press fitting. Furthermore, the general shapes and relative sizes of the various components may vary. Many different materials may be considered suitable for manufacturing the components described herein.  
         [0030]     Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not by the embodiments illustrated, but by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4