Doorlock safety chain release mechanism

Abstract

The doorlock safety chain release mechanism comprises an anchor fixture mounted to a door frame and a door plate assembly mounted to the door. The door plate assembly has a horizontal channel with a horizontal slot in the front wall of the channel. A chain has one end thereof attached to the anchor fixture and a release connector is mounted to the other end. A slider is mounted in the channel. The release connector has a ball-detent connector mounted therein, and engaged into the slider. The ball-detent connector is operable by depressing the plunger of the connector through the slider and into a hole in the backing plate of the channel. An operation of the ball-detent connector is checked by the backing plate when the plunger is unaligned with the hole in the backing plate. Applications for this lock mechanism are not limited to door locks.

Claims

1. A doorlock safety chain release mechanism comprising: an anchor fixture mounted to a frame of a door; a door plate assembly mounted to said door at a same height as said anchor fixture; said door plate assembly having an embossed cover plate and a backing plate, said embossed cover plate and said backing plate defining a horizontal channel having a horizontal slot therein, and said backing plate having a hole therein aligning with a far end of said slot; a chain extending between said anchor fixture and said door plate assembly; said chain having one end thereof attached to said anchor fixture and a release connector mounted to the other end thereof; said release connector comprising: a slider mounted in said channel for movement along said channel; said slider having a cylindrical cavity throughout a thickness thereof; and a ball-detent connector engaged into said cylindrical cavity of said slider; said ball-detent connector having an extended stem therein; said ball-detent connector being operable by depressing said stem through said cylindrical cavity and into said hole in said backing plate of said door plate assembly; and wherein an operation of said ball-detent connector is checked by said backing plate when said stem is unaligned with said hole in said backing plate.

2. The doorlock safety chain release mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein a length of said chain is a same distance as a dimension between said hole in said backing plate and said anchor fixture.

3. The doorlock safety chain as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ball-detent connector has a first circular groove thereabout and said chain has a first chainlink formed to engage into said first circular groove.

4. The doorlock safety chain as claimed in claim 3, wherein said anchor fixture has a socket mounted thereto, and said socket having a second circular groove thereabout, and said chain has a second chainlink formed to engage into said second circular groove.

5. The doorlock safety chain as claimed in claim 4, wherein said socket has a third groove therein to engage with said ball-detent mechanism of said connector.

6. The doorlock safety chain as claimed in claim 5, wherein said slider has a shoulder thereon and said shoulder is enclosed in and guided along said horizontal slot of said channel.

7. A doorlock safety chain release mechanism comprising: a chain having a first end attached to a frame of a door, and a release connector mounted to a second end thereof; a channel assembly mounted to said door; said channel assembly comprising a channel having a longitudinal dimension and a longitudinal slot therein, and a slider movably mounted in said channel for movement along said longitudinal dimension; said slider assembly having a cavity extending through a thickness thereof, and said cavity being configured to receive said release connector therein; said channel assembly also comprising a backing plate enclosing said channel along said longitudinal dimension; said backing plate having a hole therein aligning at a right angle from said longitudinal dimension, and said hole aligning with said cavity when said slider being positioned at a specific location along said longitudinal dimension; said connector having a ball-detent mechanism therein and a plunger for operating said ball-detent mechanism, said connector being mounted in said cavity of said slider, for movement with said slider along said channel; said plunger having an extension which is being extendable in said hole in said backing plate when said cavity of said slider is aligning with said hole in said backing plate for operating said ball-detent mechanism, and a movement of said plunger being checked by said backing plate when said cavity in said slider is positioned offset from said hole in said backing plate.

8. The doorlock safety chain as claimed in claim 7, wherein said ball-detent connector has a first circular groove thereabout and said chain has a first chainlink formed to engage into said first circular groove.

9. The doorlock safety chain as claimed in claim 7, further comprising an anchor fixture mounted to said frame and said anchor fixture has a socket mounted thereto, and said socket having a second circular groove thereabout, and said chain has a second chainlink formed to engage into said second circular groove.

10. The doorlock safety chain as claimed in claim 9, wherein said socket has a third groove therein to engage with said ball-detent mechanism of said connector.

11. The doorlock safety chain as claimed in claim 7, wherein said slider has a shoulder thereon and said shoulder is guided in said longitudinal slot of said channel assembly.

12. The doorlock safety chain as claimed in claim 7, wherein said longitudinal dimension is aligned horizontally.

13. The doorlock safety chain as claimed in claim 12, wherein said channel assembly is mounted to said door at a same height as an attachment of said chain to said frame.

14. The doorlock safety chain as claimed in claim 13, wherein said attachment of said chain to said frame comprises an anchor fixture having a socket therein for retaining said release connector.

15. The doorlock safety chain as claimed in claim 14, wherein said socket has a groove therein for engaging with said ball-detent mechanism of said release connector.

16. The doorlock safety chain as claimed in claim 7, wherein said chain is straight when said stem is extendable in said hole in said backing plate.

17. The doorlock safety chain as claimed in claim 9, wherein said chain has a same length as a distance between said anchor fixture and said hole in said backing plate.

18. A lock release mechanism comprising: a release connector; a channel assembly comprising a channel having a longitudinal dimension and slider movably mounted therein for movement along said longitudinal dimension; said slider assembly having a cavity extending through a thickness thereof, and said cavity being configured to receive said release connector therein; said channel assembly also comprising longitudinal slot and a backing plate enclosing said channel along a said longitudinal dimension and retaining said slider in said channel; said backing plate having a hole therein aligning at a right angle from said longitudinal dimension, and said hole aligning with said cavity in said slider when said slider is positioned at a specific location along said longitudinal dimension; said connector having a ball-detent mechanism therein and a plunger for operating said ball-detent mechanism, said release connector being mounted in said cavity of said slider for movement with said slider along said channel; said plunger being extendable into said hole in said backing plate when said cavity of said slider being aligned with said hole in said backing plate for operating said ball-detent mechanism, and a movement of said plunger being checked by said backing plate when said cavity in said slider is position offset from said hole in said backing plate.

19. The release mechanism in claim 18, further comprising a chain and wherein said ball-detent connector has a first circular groove thereabout and said chain has a first chainlink formed to engage with said circular groove.

20. The release mechanism as claimed in claim 18, wherein said slider has a shoulder thereon and said shoulder is guided in said longitudinal slot of said channel assembly.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0065] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a doorlock safety chain having a push-to-release connector;

[0066] FIG. 2 is a cross-section view of the connector in FIG. 1, as seen along line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

[0067] FIG. 3 is another cross-section of the connector in FIG. 1, when positioned at the far end of the slot in the door plate assembly in FIG.1, with the stem or plunger of the connector depressed to release the connector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0068] The preferred embodiment of the preferred doorlock safety chain release mechanism according to the present invention is described herein-below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0069] Referring to FIG. 1, the overall arrangement of the preferred mechanism is illustrated. The preferred mechanism comprises a safety chain 20 that has a first end attached to an anchor fixture 22. The anchor fixture 22 is mounted to the frame 24 of a door 26. The movable end of the chain 20 has a ball-detent-type connector 30 attached to it. This connector 30 is made to engage into a slider 32, which is better illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The slider 32 is held captive in a door plate assembly 34 and it is free to slide along a slotted channel 36 in the door plate assembly 34.

[0070] The door plate assembly 34 is affixed to the door 26 at a same height as the anchor fixture 22. The door plate assembly 34 is made of an embossed cover plate 38 and a backing plate 40. The cover plate 38 and the backing plate 40 define the slotted channel 36 along which the slider 32 can move. The slotted channel 36 guides the movement of the connector 30 and the slider 32 toward and away from the anchor fixture 22.

[0071] A socket 42 is mounted to the anchor fixture 22 to retain the connector 30 to the anchor fixture 22 when the safety chain 20 is not used.

[0072] Referring again to FIG. 1, the channel 36 in the door plate 34 has a horizontal, longitudinal slot 44 therein. The far end of the backing plate 40 as a hole 46 therein. The hole 46 preferably aligns with the far end of the slot 44. The hole 46 may extend into the surface of the door 26.

[0073] Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, operation of the preferred doorlock safety chain release mechanism will be explained.

[0074] The slider 32 has a cylindrical cavity extending throughout its thickness, for receiving the release connector 30 therein. The slider 32 is preferably guided along the slot 44 by way of a shoulder 48 on the slider 32. This shoulder extends into the slot 44 and its diameter is a free-sliding fit relative to the width of the slot 44.

[0075] The preferred release connector 30 comprises a ball-detent-type lock 50 therein. The internal structure and operation of this ball-detent mechanism 50 is not explained or illustrated herein in details, as this is not the focus of the present invention. These mechanisms are well known in the art of chain connectors.

[0076] However, the type of ball-detent connector 30 used in the preferred embodiment has a movable stem or plunger 52. The preferred connector 30 has a stem extension 54 that extends flush with the surface of the backing plate 40 when the stem is in a relaxed mode, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The stem extension 54 of the connector 30 is sufficiently long to extend into the hole 46 in the backing plate 40, when the stem extension 54 is in a depressed mode, as illustrated in FIG. 3. This depressed mode enables the release of the ball-detent mechanism 50 and the separation of the connector 30 from the slider 32.

[0077] Because of the stem or plunger extension 54 and the hole 46 registering with the stem extension 54, the preferred doorlock safety chain release mechanism can only be undone by pressing on the stem 52 when the slider 32 is at a precise location at the far end of the slot 44, to register the stem or plunger extension 54 into the hole 46.

[0078] The chain 20 has a specific length that is equivalent to about a straight line between the anchor fixture 22 and the hole 46 in the door plate assembly 34. The chain 20 must be pulled as a straight line with no sag therein, to reach that location. It will be appreciated that the door 26 must be shut tight in order to obtain this tight-chain condition. The combination of this tight-chain condition and the hole-stem registration, represents complex and complementary movements that are impossible to perform by someone standing outside the door using fabricated improvised implements.

[0079] Referring to the drawings, the chain 20 is connected to the connector 30 by a last chain link 60 which is formed to movably sit into a groove 62 in the body of the connector 30. Similarly, the chain 20 is connected to the anchor fixture 22 by a first link 64 that is formed to movably sit into similar groove (not shown) around the socket 42 on the anchor fixture 22. The socket 42 has a cylindrical opening therein to receive and to retain the body of the connector 30 when the safety chain is not used. Furthermore, the cylindrical opening in the socket 42 has an internal circular groove 66 therein to retain the ball-detent mechanism 50 in the socket 42.

[0080] In a broader aspect, the lock mechanism 70 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, can be used without the chain 20, or with a tether other than a chain. The hole 46 can be located anywhere along the slot 44. Also, the door plate assembly 34 can be installed in a vertical alignment, or at any other angle without compromising the operation of the lock mechanism 70. It is believe that this lock mechanism 70 can be used on cabinet doors and dresser drawers; on lids of boxes and storage chests; on the latches of appliance and tool cases, and on closures of pouches and holsters.