Abstract:
This invention provides a touch bar exit device on a door. The exit device has a touch bar assembly having two ends supported at one end by an active case attached to the door and an inactive case fastened to the door at the other end. There is a means for creating tension on the touch bar assembly between the two ends when a load is applied against the touch bar assembly. Alternatively, the means for creating tension on the touch bar assembly between the two ends can occur in the absence of a load applied to the touch bar assembly.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/286,071 filed on Apr. 24, 2001. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates to touch bar exit devices for doors. Specifically, it concerns the rigidity of a touch bar assembly by means of tension support.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    Existing exit devices with touch bar assemblies depend upon the strength and configuration of materials to gain some degree of rigidity. The rigidity can be dependent upon thickness of materials used. It can also be dependent upon the shape of the materials used. For example tubular shape can provide some rigidity. The existing art is also aided in giving some rigidity by making the touch bar assembly of an existing device flush against a surface of a door.  
           [0006]    Rigidity is in important to an exit device so that the device stays on the door and doesn&#39;t distort when it is hit with force for example by carts, gurneys, and fork trucks.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The purpose of this invention is to strengthen and make more solid the elongated touch bar assembly of an exit device. This is accomplished by introducing a piece called a draw bar which connects the back end of the touch bar assembly and an inactive case and creates a tension across the entire body of the touch bar assembly when a load is applied to the touch bar assembly or it can create tension across the touch bar assembly before a load is applied. When in tension the load is distributed along the length of the touch bar assembly. Being in a state of tension adds substantially to the solidity and strength of the touchbar assembly.  
           [0008]    This new approach presented provides superior rigidity by means of placing the touch bar assembly in tension between two fixed members—an active case on a latchbolt side of a door and an inactive case on a hinge side of a door. To our knowledge, there is no prior art for a tension-type touch bar assembly.  
           [0009]    This invention provides a touch bar exit device on a door. The exit device has a touch bar assembly having two ends supported at one end by an active case attached to the door and an inactive case fastened to the door at the other end. There is a means for creating tension on the touch bar assembly between the two ends when a load is applied against the touch bar assembly. Alternatively, the means for creating tension on the touch bar assembly between the two ends can occur in the absence of a load applied to the touch bar assembly. The means for creating tension can be a accomplished by having a dimple on the touch bar assembly. A draw bar having a slot engages the dimple of the touch bar assembly. The draw bar also has a back leg with a hole to receive a fastener. A faster can be inserted through a hole in the inactive case and also through the hole(s) of the back leg of the draw bar. The touch bar assembly is placed in tension when a load is applied. Alternatively, the touch bar assembly can be placed in tension when the fastener is tightened.  
           [0010]    An end of the draw bar can abut a top inside wall of the touch bar assembly.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 An isometric view of a complete touch bar exit device on a door with a latchbolt assembly in the door;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 A side view of a complete touch bar exit device on a door;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 A side view in partial section of an inactive case cover separated from an inactive case base;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 An isometric view in partial section of an inactive case with inactive case cover separated from inactive case base and touch bar channel showing a draw bar positioned with a dimple and a fastener;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 An isometric view of an inactive case base with a draw bar and a filler plate tube which is separated from the inactive case;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 An isometric view of a draw bar;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 7 An isometric view of an inactive case base; and  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 8 A side view in section of an inactive case base showing an alternate draw bar.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     Definitions  
       [0019]    “Touch Bar Exit Device” means a locking mechanism that consists of a touch bar assembly  4  on a push side of an exit door, interlinked with a latching mechanism that interfaces with a strike (or “keeper”) mounted on the door frame. Pushing the touch bar  6  always retracts a latchbolt allowing the door to open. The activating touch bar  6  must span half the width of the door, from the latch side of the door to the middle of the door.  
         [0020]    “Active Case” means a configured base of the active case  2  that is affixed to latching side of door by means of thru-bolts which fasten through the door to outside trim. The mechanics of the base interface with a latching assembly. The active case  2  also receives an end of the touch bar channel  8 .  
         [0021]    “Active Case” means a configured mounted plate affixed to a hinge side of a door. It is the means for holding the other end of the touch bar channel  8 . The inactive case  16  consists of an inactive case base  18  and an inactive case cover  20 .  
         [0022]    “Touch Bar Assembly” includes a supporting touch bar channel  8 , a spring-loaded touch bar  6  which is connected to the touch bar channel  8  by a pivot mechanism at both ends of the touch bar  6 , and a filler plate tube  10  located behind the touch bar  6  and towards the hinge side of a door.  
         [0023]    “Touch Bar Channel” means a channel that supports the touch bar assembly  4 . It is attached to both an active case  2  and an inactive case  16 . A spring loaded touch bar  6  glides downward along outside of the channel legs. The touch bar  6  is attached to the touch bar channel  8  by pivoting arms located at each end of the touch bar  6 .  
         [0024]    “Dimple” means a stamped protrusion along the bottom (web) of the touch bar channel  9  located towards the inactive case  16 . The dimple  14  projections insert into a draw bar slot  24  of a draw bar.  
         [0025]    “Draw Bar” means a configured metal piece that provides the means for placing the touch bar assembly  4  under tension. Its upper most part fits against the filler plate tube  10  segment of the touch bar assembly  4 . A slot  28  in the draw bar engages a dimple  14  at the bottom of a touch bar channel  8 . The lower part (back leg) has two oval holes for attaching to a door though an inactive case base  18  of the inactive case  16 .  
         [0026]    “Means for creating tension” means placing the touch bar assembly  4  under pretension stress as shown in FIG. 8 or under potential tension when a load is applied to a touch bar assembly  4  by means of a draw bar  24  connected to a back end of the touch bar assembly  4  and an inactive case  18 .  
         [0027]    “Filler plate tube” means a tube at the back of the touch bar assembly  4  that fits over and is attached to the back of a touch bar channel  8  near the inactive case  16 . The tube can be any geometrical shape and does not have to be round. For example it can be square or rectangular as shown in the examples.  
         [0028]    “Touch Bar” means spring loaded activator bar on a push side of a door that activates a locking mechanism for retracting a latchbolt. It is attached at each end by pivot arms to touch bar channel.  
         [0029]    “Fastener” means an attachment of an inactive case base  18  and a draw bar  24  to a door by a fastener  22  which can be a thru-bolt as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 8 shows a fastener  32  for an alternate draw bar and is a tension screw.  
       Description  
       [0030]    [0030]FIGS. 1 and 2 show a touch bar assembly  4  attached to a door  1 . An active case  2  is attached to the door at a latch side of the door  1 . An inactive case  16  is attached to a hinged side of the door  1 . A touch bar channel  8  is connected at one end to the active case  2  and to the inactive case  16  at the other end. A filler plate tube  10  covers the back of the touch bar channel  8  near the inactive case  16 . A touch bar  6  extends from the active case  2  and covers half of the door  1 . When the touch bar  6  is depressed it operates a latch bolt  34  and allows the door  1  to open. The touch bar assembly  4  includes the touch bar channel  8 , the touch bar  6 , and the filler plate tube  10 . The touch bar channel  8  supports the entire touch bar assembly  4 .  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 3 shows part of the touch bar assembly  4  when used with a draw bar  24 . The inactive case  16  consists of an inactive case base  18  and an inactive case cover  20 . A screw  35  connects the inactive case cover  20  to the inactive case base  18 . The draw bar  24  has a slot  28  for receiving a dimple  14  at the base of the touch bar channel  8 . An end  38  of the draw bar  24  abuts the top inside wall  40  of the filler plate tube  10 . A back leg  25  of the draw bar  24  fits against the inactive case base  18  and has a hole(s)  36  which a fastner  22  is used to fasten the draw bar  24  and the inactive cover base  18  to the door  1 . The fastner  22  can be a thru bolt or a sheet metal screw.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 4 is an isometric view in partial section of the inactive case  16 , the touch bar channel  8  and the filler plate tube  10 . The draw bar  24  is shown attached to inactive case base  18  by a fastner  22  at the back leg  25  of the draw bar  24 . A slot  28  in the draw bar  24  receives a dimple  14  at the base of the touch bar channel  8 . The end  38  of the draw bar  24  abuts the top inside wall  40  of the filler plate tube  10 . When the draw bar  24  is in place and attached to the door  1  (not shown in FIG. 4) a draw bar low verticle  26  will act like a spring and minutely bow when a load is applied against the touch bar assembly  4  (not shown in its entirety in FIG. 4 but shown in FIGS. 1 &amp; 2). This allows stress to be distributed along the entire touch bar assembly  4  (shown in FIGS. 1 &amp; 2) when a load is applied. This embodiment provides potential tension support.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the inactive case base  18  with the draw bar  24  and the filler plate tube  10 . The case base  18  is shown separated from the filler plate tube  10 .  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the draw bar  24 . The draw bar  24  has a slot  28 , a draw bar low vertical  26 , and a back leg  25 . The back leg  25  of the draw bar  24  can have two oval holes  36  to receive a door fastener  22  (not shown in FIG. 6). The draw bar  24  has an end  38 .  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the inactive case base  18 . The inactive case base  18  has a hole(s)  19  to receive a fastener  22  (not shown in FIG. 7) to attach the inactive case base  18  to the door  1  (not shown in FIG. 7).  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 8. shows an alternative embodiment of part of the touch bar assembly  4 . An alternate draw bar  30  that has a draw bar slot  29  to receive a dimple  14  at the base of the touch bar channel  8 . The alternative draw bar  30  has an end  39  that abuts a top inside wall  40  of the filler plate tube  10 . A back leg  31  of the alternative draw bar  30  has a hole  37  to receive a fastener  32  that goes through an inactive case base  18 . The fastener is a tension device that can be a tension screw. This embodiment provides for pre-tension support of the touch bar assembly  4 .  
         [0037]    Various changes could be made in the above construction and method without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims below. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description as shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not as a limitation.