Patent ID: 12209434

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements.

FIG.1illustrates the latch1according to an embodiment of the present invention. The latch1comprises an attachment part10, a latch shaft20and a cam30. The attachment part10is configured to attach the latch1to a door2. The attachment part10comprises resilient flanges12which fixes the latch1to the door2when the latch1has been arranged thereto. The attachment part10is, when the latch1is arranged to the door2, pressed through a hole in the door2, such that the resilient flanges12are pressed inwards towards a center of the attachment part10. When the resilient flanges12have passed through the hole in the door2, they spring out to an initial position, preventing the attachment part10to be removed from the hole. The attachment part10further comprises an attachment ring14. When the attachment part10is arranged to the door2, the attachment ring14is arranged on an outside of the door2, while the resilient flanges12are arranged at an inside of the door2. Together, the attachment ring14and the resilient flanges12fix the attachment part10and the latch1to the door2. The attachment ring14comprises an indicator16showing the direction of the cam30. The attachment part10further comprises an actuator means18. The actuator means may be a key hole, a handle, a tool actuator or the like, configured to be operated by a user to rotate the latch1.

The latch shaft20is attached to the attachment part10. The latch shaft20and the latch shaft10are rotationally fixed relative to each other. Hence, when the actuator means18is operated to rotate the latch1, the latch shaft20is rotated. The latch shaft20has a cross-section being circular with a cut flat portion22. The latch shaft20extends along a longitudinal direction X.

The cam30extends along a direction Y being perpendicular to the direction X. The cam30comprises an opening37through which the latch shaft20extends. The cam30is openable using a cam lock33. The cam lock33can be opened and closed to and from an opened position and a closed position. In the closed position, the opening37is smaller than in the open position. The latch shaft20extending through the opening37is thereby locked relative to the cam30when the cam lock33is in the closed position.

From the opening37to the cam lock33, a lock slit35extends. The lock slit35provides two arms extending on respective sides of the lock slit35from the opening37towards the cam lock33. In the closed position, the cam lock33provides the two arms to be pressed towards each other, reducing the width of the lock slit35. To additionally provide flexibility in the size of the opening37when the cam lock33is either closed or open, the cam30comprises one or more additional slits36extending from the opening37. The additional slits36may extend towards an edge of the cam30.

The cam lock33is provided in the form of a snap lock. As further illustrated inFIGS.6and7, the cam lock33comprises a hook member331which is configured to snap onto a catch member332in the closed position of the cam lock33. The hook member331is arranged on a lip member335which is connected to the rest of the cam30via a hinge333. The hinge333may be formed from a thickness of the material of the cam30necessary to provide the desired hinge function. The cam lock33further comprises a stop member334arranged behind the lip member335. The stop member334is configured to prevent the lip member335from being lifted or opened too far which might otherwise cause damage to the cam lock33, or conflict with other parts of a door arrangement.

The opening37is circular with a cut flat portion39. This shape of the opening37provides, in combination with the corresponding shape of the cross-section of the latch shaft20, that the latch shaft20is rotationally fixed relative to the cam30, and that the latch shaft can be inserted into the opening37in only one predetermined rotational position.

The latch shaft20comprises at least one groove section. In the illustrated embodiment, the latch shaft20comprises three groove sections24a,24b,24c. Each groove section24a,24b,24ccomprises a plurality of grooves. The grooves in a groove section24a,24b,24care axially separated along the longitudinal direction X of the latch shaft20. The grooves may be axially separated but arranged axially adjacent to each other. The grooves of a groove section24a,24b,24cextend along a common portion of the circumference of the latch shaft20. The grooves of a groove section24a,24b,24care separated along the circumference of the latch shaft20from the grooves of another groove section24a,24b,24c. A first groove section24ais arranged on the cut flat portion of the latch shaft20.

The cam30comprises, at an inner surface of the opening37, one or more projections38. The number of projections38correspond to the number of groove sections24a,24b,24con the latch shaft20. Each projection38is elongated along the circumference of the opening37. Each projection38extend along a portion of the circumference of the opening37. In case of several projections38a,38b,38c, the projections are separated from each other along the circumference of the opening37. One projection38ais arranged on the cut flat portion39of the opening. All projections38a,38b,38care arranged at a common axial level in the opening37.

The cam30comprises a first portion31at which the opening37through which the latch shaft20extends is provided. The cam further comprises a second portion32which interacts, when the latch is arranged to a door2and is in the closed position, with the door frame3. The cam30extends in a direction Y being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X of the latch shaft20. The second portion32of the cam30is offset the first portion31along the direction X.

As seen inFIGS.3and4, the adjustability of the axial position of the cam30along the latch shaft20provides that the latch1can be adapted for different sizes and configurations of door frames3. Depending on the distance between a door plane of the door2, when the door2is closed, and door frame surface towards which the cam is intended to abut, the configuration of the latch needs to be different. By adjusting the axial position of the cam30, the one and the same latch1can be used for different door and door frame configurations.

Further, due to the offset of the second portion32of the cam30, and that the cam can be flipped relative to the latch shaft20, the range of possible door and door frame configurations which the latch1can be used for is further increased. As seen inFIG.3, the cam30is in the most extended axial position, and the cam30is flipped to an arrangement providing the longest possible distance between the door2and the door frame3. InFIG.4, the cam30is in the axial position closest to the attachment part10, and the cam is flipped to an arrangement wherein the second portion32is offset towards the door2, thereby providing the shortest possible distance between the door2and the door frame3.

On the second portion32of the cam30, either if the second portion32is offset the first portion31or not, it may comprise, at an end of the cam30, a hold projection34. As further seen inFIG.10, the hold projection34is intended to interact with an opening4on the door frame3. When the latch1is in the closed position, the hold projection's interaction with the opening thereby prevent unintended movement of the latch1towards the opened position.

FIG.11illustrates a latch1according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the cam30extends straight perpendicularly relative to the latch shaft20. Hence, the first portion31and the second portion32of the cam are not offset relative to each other.

FIG.12illustrate a cam30according to an embodiment where the cam30comprises a recess51. The recess extends along at least a part of the second portion32of the cam30. The recess51may further extend over a transition portion between the second portion32and the first portion31. The recess51may have a depth at the second portion that is about half of the thickness of the cam31at the second portion32. At the recess' extension at the transition portion, the depth of the recess may gradually decrease in a direction towards the first portion31. The recess51may improve the properties of the cam30during manufacturing, such as preventing deformation or shrinking. It may further provide stability to the cam30.

In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed preferred embodiments and examples of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.