Abstract:
Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a removable drive-in housing assembly for securing a latch assembly in a door. The removable drive-in housing assembly can include a cylindrical casing having a longitudinal axis, said casing adapted to at least partially surround the latch assembly, and a seamless annular collar snapably attachable to said cylindrical casing. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. This abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Description:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0001]    The invention and its wide variety of potential embodiments will be readily understood via the following detailed description of certain exemplary embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
       
    
    
       [0002]    [0002]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a system  100  of the present invention;  
         [0003]    [0003]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a system  100  of the present invention;  
         [0004]    [0004]FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a collar  40  of the present invention; and  
         [0005]    [0005]FIG. 4 is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of a system  400  of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0006]    Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a removable drive-in housing assembly for securing a latch assembly in a door. The removable drive-in housing assembly can include a cylindrical casing having a longitudinal axis, said casing adapted to at least partially surround the latch assembly, and a unitary cylindrical collar snapably attachable to said cylindrical casing.  
         [0007]    Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a removable drive-in housing assembly for securing a latch assembly in a door. The removable drive-in housing assembly can include a casing adapted to at least partially surround the latch assembly, and a seamless annular collar snapably attachable to said casing.  
         [0008]    Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a removable drive-in housing assembly for securing a latch assembly in a door. The removable drive-in housing assembly can include a unitary collar receivable around an outer perimeter of a casing, the casing adapted to at least partially surround the latch assembly, said collar adapted to releasably engage with the door, and a means for snapably attaching the collar to the casing.  
         [0009]    Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a system that can include a door grasp coupleable to a door, a latch assembly coupleable to said door grasp, a casing adapted to at least partially surround said latch assembly, and a unitary collar snapably attachable to said casing.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a system  100  of the present invention. System  100  can include a removable drive-in housing assembly  10  that, in an operative configuration, can be installed in a door (shown in FIG. 4), such as a residential door. Drive-in housing assembly  10  can include a latch assembly  20 , that can be operable along a longitudinal axial dimension to engage and/or disengage a latch  22  with a latch plate (not shown) of a door frame (not shown). Latch  22  can be at least partially surrounded by a substantially cylindrical casing  30  having a longitudinal axis and having one or more radially outwardly extending protrusions  32  along its outer circumferential surface. Casing  30  can be fabricated from metal (e.g., drawn metal, steel, brass, etc.), polymer, and/or the like, such as an injection molded plastic (e.g., polyethylene, LDPE, HDPE, and/or nylon, etc.).  
         [0011]    Removable drive-in housing assembly  10  can also include a collar  40 , that can be seamless, continuous, substantially annular, substantially cylindrical, and/or unitary. In an operative configuration, collar  40  can be axially slid around casing  30 , such that collar  40  surrounds a perimeter of casing  30 . Further, protrusion  32  can be snapably received in clamping slot  42  of collar  40  to substantially attach collar  40  to casing  30 , and/or to substantially limit and/or prevent rotational, radial, and/or axial movement of collar  40  with respect to casing  30 . Thus, collar  40  can be axially, rotationally, and/or radially fixed with respect to casing  30 .  
         [0012]    Collar  40  can include a flange  44  that, in an operative configuration, can control a depth that collar  40  is received in the door. Collar  40  can include one or more outwardly extending ribs  46  that, in an operative configuration, can create an interference fit with the door. Collar  40  can be fabricated from metal (e.g., drawn metal, steel, brass, etc.), polymer, and/or the like, such as an injection molded plastic (e.g., polyethylene, LDPE, HDPE, and/or nylon, etc.).  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a system  100  and drive-in housing assembly  10  of the present invention, showing collar  40  surrounding casing  30 , and showing protrusion  32  received within slot  42  to limit movement of casing  30  with respect to collar  40 .  
         [0014]    In certain embodiments, drive-in housing assembly  10  can accommodate non-destructive conversion from a snapped-on faceplate to a drive-in configuration, and vice versa. In certain embodiments, drive-in housing assembly  10  can securely hold latch assembly  20  within the door. In certain embodiments, drive-in housing assembly  10  can be easily manually installed into the door without special tools, and possibly without tools at all. In certain embodiments, drive-in housing assembly  10  can be manually, easily, and/or non-destructively removed from the door.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a collar  40  of the present invention. Collar  40  can define one or more slots  42  for receiving a protrusion of the casing (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). Slot  42  can include a V-shaped opening  49  that tapers to define a passage that is slightly narrower than an outside dimension of the protrusion. With application of a predetermined force, slot  42  and/or the protrusion can flex slightly to allow the protrusion to pass from V-shaped opening  49  into a C-shaped receiver  41  of slot  42  that can snugly contain the protrusion, and thereby causing a slight snap to be felt and/or heard. Slot  42  can be defined in a slot portion  43  of collar  40  that has a sufficiently smaller diameter than collar body  45  that the protrusion does not substantially interfere with and/or does not prevent insertion of drive-in housing assembly  10  into the door.  
         [0016]    In various alternative embodiments (not shown), other means can be provided to snapably attach collar  40  to the casing. Such means can be at least partially integral to collar  40  and/or to the casing. For example, collar  40  can include at least one radially inwardly extending protrusion that can be snapably received in a slot of the casing to limit rotational, radial, and/or axial movement of collar  40  with respect to the casing. Such a slot can resemble a longitudinally and/or circumferentially extending groove and/or an indentation, and can be dimensioned to snugly receive the inwardly extending protrusion. The protrusion can extend sufficiently in an inward radial direction to cause an interference fit between collar  40  and the casing. The protrusion and/or the slot can have a slight degree of flex. Thus, as collar  40  is slid over the casing, once the protrusion fully encounters the slot, at least a slight snap can be heard and/or felt as the protrusion is received by the slot.  
         [0017]    As another alternative example, similar to slot  42  of FIG. 3, the slot can resemble a longitudinally and/or circumferentially extending V-shaped opening coupled to a C-shaped receiver, and can be dimensioned to snugly receive the inwardly extending protrusion.  
         [0018]    Collar  40  can include a flange  44  that can have a larger diameter than that of a body of collar  40 . In an operative configuration, flange  44  can control a depth that collar  40  is received in a bore in the door. Attached to flange  44  can be a face plate  48  that can constrain radial movement of the latch and/or latch mechanism to correspond to radial movement of collar  40 . As shown, collar  40  can include one or more ribs  46  extending axially along and outwardly from its outer circumferential surface. In an operative configuration, ribs  46  can create an interference fit with the door. Ribs  46  can be smoothed and/or rounded to ease insertion of drive-in housing assembly  10  into the door. Various releasable engagement means, such as protrusions  47 , teeth, rings, etc., can be utilized in place or and/or to augment ribs  46 .  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 is a top cut-away view of an exemplary embodiment of a system  400  of the present invention. As shown, system  400  can include a door  50  coupled to a latch assembly  20  that is operable via one or more coupled door handles  60  and/or grasps (not shown). At least partially surrounding latch assembly  20  can be a latch casing  30 , which can be at least partially surrounded by a collar  40  that can snugly interface with a bore defined in door  50 . A latch  22  can interact with a latch plate (not shown) to secure the door in a closed position.  
         [0020]    Although the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood that numerous variations, modifications and additional embodiments are possible, and accordingly, all such variations, modifications, and embodiments are to be regarded as being within the spirit and scope of the invention. Also, references specifically identified and discussed herein are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.