A pocket door system for inhibiting an animal from passing through a doorway includes a door frame is positioned within a wall. A door unit is slidably positioned within the wall. The door unit is biased into a closed position having the door unit extending across the door frame. Thus, the door unit may inhibit an animal from passing through the door frame. The door unit is selectively urged into an open position. Thus, the door unit facilitates the animal to pass through the door frame.

A latch mechanism for releasably securing a hinged gate to one or more latches. The latch mechanism includes a handle that is pivotally connected to a gate wall. The handle includes at least one retention arm that lockingly engages a latch when the hinged gate is in a latched position. According to certain embodiments, the handle includes a retention arm at both ends of the handle, with the handle extending generally along the length of the gate wall. Further, the handle may be pivotally displaced about the retention arm(s) so that the handle is displaced from the first position to a second position. As the handle is pivotally displaced to the second position, a release mechanism of the handle may engage and pivotally displace the adjacent latch so that the retention arm may be released from the locking engagement with the latch.

A latch feature for a door includes an input body that is operable to move linearly between first and second positions relative to the door. The latch feature also includes an output body. The output body is coupled to the input body by a pivot member that is configured to pivot relative to the output body and the input body to allow the output body to move linearly toward the input body from an outboard position to an inboard position as the input body moves from the first position to the second position.

A latch arrangement for fastening a panel of a door or a window to a frame element is provided. The latch arrangement includes a locking element mounted on the frame element and displaceable between a locked position in which the locking element can be engaged with the panel locking thereby the panel to the frame element, and an unlocked position in which the locking element is disengaged from the panel unlocking thereby the panel from the frame element. An actuating mechanism, optionally including a manually operable handle, is mounted on the panel and configured to selectively engage the locking element and to displace the locking element to the unlocked position. Where a stop latch provides deadlock functionality, the panel-mounted actuating mechanism preferably sequentially releases the stop latch and then displaces the locking element.

An electronic striker for releasing a door or access panel includes a housing defining an opening and a passageway extending from the opening for receiving a pawl on the door or access panel. A plunger is coupled to the housing and is mounted for movement within the passageway. A motor is configured for moving the plunger between a withdrawn position, in which the plunger is withdrawn within the passageway, and a deployed position, in which the plunger is extended within the passageway relative to the withdrawn position. The plunger is configured to move the pawl out of the passageway upon moving the plunger from the withdrawn position to the deployed position, thereby releasing the door or access panel from the passageway.

A front-loading washing machine includes a door frame, a latch, a door, a seal, and a striker. The latch is secured to the door frame. The door is rotatably secured to the door frame. The seal is disposed between the door and the door frame. The striker is secured to the door. The striker is configured to disengage the latch in a first configuration while the door is in a closed position such that a gap is formed between the door and the door frame to facilitate venting from an interior of the washing machine. The striker is configured to engage the latch in a second configuration while the door is in the closed position such that the seal closes the gap between the door and the door frame to inhibit venting from the interior of the washing machine.

An illumination system is provided for an access door may include an elongated illumination housing configured to be coupled to at least one of an upstanding jamb and a corresponding jamb casing extending along the one side of the access door, an elongated light transmissive cover coupled to the illumination housing, an elongated light pipe received within the illumination housing, an illumination source housing operatively coupled to one end of the light pipe, an illumination source disposed within the illumination source housing and configured to produce and transmit visible light into the light pipe so as to be visible through the light transmissive cover, a source of electrical power, and a control unit configured to selectively apply electrical power from the source of electrical power to the illumination source to produce the visible light.

A pneumatically actuated gate assembly, and a kit for making the assembly are provided. The assembly comprising: a gate with an at least one hinge; a battery; a compressed gas cylinder; a first support pivotally supporting the gate with the hinges; a second support; a latch movably mounted on the gate; a keeper for releasable engagement with the latch, the keeper mounted on the second support; a compressed gas system in fluid communication with the compressed gas cylinder; a gate pneumatic system in fluid communication with the compressed gas system, and including a gate pneumatic ram pivotally attached to the first support at a proximal end and attached to the gate at a distal end; a latch pneumatic system in fluid communication with the compressed gas system, and including a latch pneumatic ram attached to the gate and the latch; and a controller, wherein the compressed gas system is configured to provide a controllable pressure of gas to the gate pneumatic system and the latch pneumatic system under control of the controller. A method of using the assembly is also provided.

A domestic appliance (for example, a microwave oven), comprising: a housing; a front door; a retention mechanism (for example including a latch), located within the housing and engageable with the door; wherein the retention mechanism is movable between a first configuration, in which the door is retained in a closed position, and a second configuration, in which the door is non-engaged; an electromechanical actuator (for example a relay), adapted to move the retention mechanism out of said first configuration; and a controller (for example a microprocessor coupled to the relay, the microprocessor being operable in responsive to one or more signals to activate the relay, and thereby release the door from the closed position. Under spring bias, the door thus opens to about 30-45 degrees. The microprocessor-controlled door opening may be operable in three or more modes, including: actuation of a touch switch, remote control, or a microwave end of cooking.

This invention discloses a lock that set on a suitcase of being opened or closed without using a zipper, which including an operating component and a locking component that are separately-mounted; the operating component is set on a non-border position of the suitcase, and the locking component is set on the border of the suitcase, wherein the locking component comprises at least one locking unit, the force transfer between the operating component and the locking component is provided by a force transmission mechanism that connected between the operating component and the locking component; the operating component comprises an operation member, and the locking unit comprises a lock head and a lock hook, wherein driving the operation member can drive the lock head or the lock hook to move through the force transmission mechanism, to lock or unlock the lock. This invention also provides a suitcase provided with the lock as described above. This invention set the operating component and the locking component separately, which solves the problem that the lock can only be installed on the border of the suitcase, and only the locking component needs to be installed on the border of the suitcase, while the operating component can be installed at any position of the suitcase other than the border.