A magnetic latch for fastening a closure member to a support. The magnetic latch comprises a keeper assembly including a magnet and a latch bolt assembly having: an elongated frame (32); a latch bolt (14) moveable between a latching position and a retracted position; a latch bolt biasing member urging the latch bolt into its retracted position; and a latch bolt operating mechanism configured to move the latch bolt from its latching position to its retracted position against a magnetic attraction. The latch bolt operating mechanism comprises: an effort link rod (37); a load link rod (34); and a second-order lever (35) interposed between the effort link rod and the load link rod. The second-order lever reduces the force required to operate the latch bolt operating mechanism thus allowing for an increased magnetic attraction of the latch bolt towards the magnet in the keeper assembly.

A magnetic latch for fastening a closure member to a support. The magnetic latch comprises a latch bolt assembly having: an elongated frame (32); a latch bolt moveable between a latching position and a retracted position; a latch bolt operating mechanism having a driving part (36) which is moveable between a rest position and an actuated position; and a locking mechanism to lock the driving part in its rest position. The locking mechanism comprises: a key actuated cylinder (51) having a rotary driving bit (52) and a locking member (54, 59, 61) mounted on the frame and moveable between an unlocking position in which the driving part is moveable, and a locking position in which, when the driving part is in its rest position, it locks the driving part in its rest position, the rotary driving bit being arranged to engage the locking member.

A latch arrangement for a sliding wing has a latching member that is movable by magnetic force from first position in which it is at least partially retracted within a latch housing, to a second position in which it extends at least partially out of the housing, to be received in a strike. The strike comprises a magnet or ferromagnetic arrangement to attract the latching member into a receiving and engaging formation of the strike when the sliding wing is located at or adjacent the strike.

A door position sensor of an electromagnetic door lock. The electromagnetic lock also includes an electromagnet and a strike plate. The electromagnet is secured to the door frame and the strike plate is movably mounted to the door so that a controlled amount of door movement in the opening direction is permitted while the strike plate remains in contact with an energized electromagnet. The door position sensor may comprise a sensor in or on the electromagnet and a permanent magnet mounted to the door and disposed in proximity to the sensor when the door is in a closed position. The sensor may be a reed switch or a Hall Effect sensor. The permanent magnet and strike plate may be mounted to the door by a mounting tray. The mounting tray may include indicia to aid in providing a proper alignment of the strike plate to the door and electromagnet.

A magnetic lock has a magnetically operable latch having a magnetically repellable or attractable latch element. A magnetic operating device spaced from the latch has a first magnet with a respective magnetic direction and a second magnet with a respective magnetic direction. The first magnet is rotatable between a latched position with its magnetic direction generally parallel to and pointing oppositely to the magnetic direction of the second magnet for contracting a magnetic field formed by the first and second magnets, and a release position generally parallel to and with its magnetic direction pointing the same as the second magnet for extending the magnetic field to and repelling or attracting the latch element.

A latch arrangement for a sliding wing has a latching member that is movable by magnetic force from first position in which it is at least partially retracted within a latch housing, to a second position in which it extends at least partially out of the housing, to be received in a strike. The strike comprises a magnet or ferromagnetic arrangement to attract the latching member into a receiving and engaging formation of the strike when the sliding wing is located at or adjacent the strike.

A magnetic lock is presented. The magnetic lock includes a base having a cylindrical opening disposed therein, and having a first magnetic element disposed in a bottom surface of the cylindrical opening of the base. The lock further includes an insert removably securable within the cylindrical opening of the base, the insert having a second magnetic element disposed along a bottom surface thereof. When the insert is inserted into the cylindrical opening of the base and the first magnetic element of the base is aligned with the second magnetic element of the insert the insert is locked within the cylindrical opening of the base. When the insert is rotated within the cylindrical opening of the base to a position wherein the first magnetic element and the second magnetic element are not aligned with each other the insert is removable from the cylindrical opening of the base.

A latch assembly comprising: a latch operable to adopt a latched condition and an unlatched condition; a magnet imparting a magnetic field; a sensor adapted to sense the magnetic field; the latch, magnet and sensor being configured such that a change in the condition of the latch effects a variance in the magnetic field sensed by the sensor to distinguish between the latched condition and the unlatched condition, wherein the latch includes a latch member that is moveable relative to both the sensor and the magnet when the latch changes from the unlatched condition to the latched condition and the proximity of the latch member to the magnet changes the strength of the magnetic field sensed by the sensor.

The present invention relates to an automatic lock mechanism for foldable systems, where such lock mechanism is used with any kind of foldable system, such as a stretcher that consists of a plurality of panels, where the intelligent lock of each foldable panel is made by a measurement system that determines when the folds are in the desired position, this is, parallel to one another or one after the other, and an electronic lock system that triggers a magnetic lock when panels reach the desired position to create a stiff element from the panels comprising the foldable system.

A magnetically-triggered lock mechanism for interengaging two relatively movable components. The lock mechanism includes a bolt mounted within a first component composed of a first material and displaceable between retracted and extended positions to interengage with a second component when the first and second components are in a predetermined position relative to each other and the bolt is extended, and a magnetically-releasable latch mechanism positioned to latch the bolt in a retracted position, the latch mechanism including a first magnet and mounted for movement between a biased latch engaging position and a latch releasing position. A support collar composed of a second material having higher strength than that of the first material is disposed around the bolt between an inner casing and outer casing of the first component and is spaced from the bolt to allow for sliding movement of the bolt through the support collar as the bolt moves between the extended and retracted positions. The support collar absorbs and distributes to the inner and/or outer casing a load generated from the bolt as the bolt moves to the extended position through the support collar. A second magnet is positioned to displace the latch mechanism to the latch releasing position when the first component is in the predetermined position relative to the second component.