US2482959A - Refrigerator latch - Google Patents

Description

' P 1949- L. ANDERSON ET AL 2,482,959

REFRIGERATOR LATCH Filed June 10, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l \NVENTOB LLox1 L. ANDERSON ROBERT Ldqnusou Arwognavs Patented '27, .1949

Lloyd L. Anderson and Robert a. Johnson, Grand Rapids, Mich, assignors to Winters dz Gram ton Corporation, Grandville, Mich, a corpora? tion of Michigan Application June 10, 1940, sodium. ova-12o 5 Claims. (01. ass-as) l z a This invention is directed to a particularly ward direction, therefore, in the direction of the simply constructed, economically manufactured and effective latch structure, adapted to be used .on refrigerator doors, and having a spring actuated latch bolt to engage with a keeper therefor, carried on the adjacent casing or housing of the refrigerator. In the present invention, insofar as the latch mechanism is concerned, it is constructed of three major parts, all readily and economically made from sheet metal, with the utilization of pins for connecting the parts to gether, and simple springs associated with the parts in the fully assembled latch structure. The latch bolt is automatically retracted when a door, carrying the latch, is closed, whereupon a beveled end of the latch bolt engages with and rides ozer the keeper. The latch bolt is released by an outward pull upon a handle, or the like, the movemovement of the door for opening.

An understanding of the invention may be had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanyingv drawings, in which, I

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary horizontal section through the freejve'rtical edge portion of a refrigerator door and its associated side of the refrigerator casing with the door'in closed position,

- the latch structure being shown in plan, and

ment of which withdraws a rod, said rod in its 1 normal position interposing a stop againstdisconnection of the bolt with the keeper. present invention is concerned, among other things, with improvements in the way of simplifying and bettering and more economically producing latches ofthe character, for example, disclosed in my prior patents having Numbers 2,136,662, issued November 15, 1938; 2,188,795, issued January 9, 1940, and 2,252,591, issued August 12, 1941.

In the present invention, the latch structure may be directly mounted at the inner side .of the refrigerator door and the keeper at the inner side of the casing near the front face ofa side of such casing, with a. 'minimum and nearly complete absence of cutting away to make room for the installation of the latch so far as the refrigerator structure, either-of the door or casing, is concerned. The latch is concealed when thedoor is closed, with all that is exposed in the front being the latch releasing handle or equivalent.

' It is an object and purpose of the present invention to provide a novel, simply constructed and economical latch structure of the character stated, with which the door may be closed to a tightly closed position and held with a required The compression of the sealing gasket between the.

door and the refrigerator casing, and with no undue increase in strength of the latch bolt spring, the force of which is exerted to hold the latch bolt in operative connection or relation to the keeper: and further, to provide a latch structure in which the bolt may be readily released without compressing the latch bolt projecting spring, the releasing being accomplished by -a relativelv li ht null unnn the handle In an nutgigging a handle operated means of releasing the Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse section through the door, the latch being shown in end elevation, and another construction of latch release illustrated, partly in section and partly in elevation. f

Fig, 3 is a rear elevationof the latch, viewing the same from the inner side of the door.

Fig. 4 is an elevation from the opposite side of i the latch structure.

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are longitudinal horizontal sections through the latch showing the mechanism within the latch housing in four, differentpositions, which positions may be occupied by the interior latch mechanism atdifferent stages of the latch operation.

Figs. 9 and 10 are transverse, vertical sections upon the planes 9-9 and lO-lll respectively of Fig. 5 looking in the direction indicated, and

Fig. 11 shows in perspective the three major parts or elements of the latch structure in separated or disassembled condition;

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the front portion of .a side 1 of a refrigerator casing is shown as having associated therewith a door 2 closed to shut the open side of the refrigerator, and wit a compressable gasket 3 between the front face of said side I and the adjacent rear face portion ofthe face of the door 2. Such gasketshown secured to the casing extends entirely around the door opening on the refrigerator casing. In some instances it may be carried at the rear side of the door, when the door is closed, the gasket should asaaoso which a cylindrical pin or roller I is permanently secured.

In the latch structure, a housing of sheet metal integral in all' of its parts. is used. It is formed with an inner side (Fig. 11) of a generally rectangular form, from the longitudinal edges of which two spaced sides I are bent to extend outwardly. What may be termed the rear end oi the housing, is closed by an end 8 which is an extension at one end of the innerside 6. At its other end, two tongues 9 ar bent inwardly toward each other leaving a substantially rectangular opening it between their inner edges and the side 6. Each of the sides I at its outer edge has a flange ll bent therefrom at right angles. The outer or base side of the housing is open except for an extension i2 to the rear end 8 which is bent to lie in parallelism with the inner side I and the length of which is less than the overall length of the housing as shown.

Within said housing, at its rear portion, a member which together with the latch bolt hereafter to be described, makes in eflect a toggle lever is located. Such member made from a single piece of sheet metal has two spaced sides I! connected at one end by an integral bridge 14 between them. Said sides It, at their opposite ends, have pin-passing openings therethrough and are also formed each with an ear I! as shown with like pin-passing openings in alignment with each other. a

The latch bolt is also made from a single blank I of sheet metal. It has an inner side it from which two spaced sides I! are bent at right angles in an outward direction. At its forward end the inner side It is continued in an'inclined or beveled end portion is for the bolt, and is bent back to provide an outer side I! which is spaced from and lies generally in parallel relation to the inner side I, being located at the free longitudinal edges of the sides ll, butv of a lesser length than the inner side II.

The sides I! of the previously described member are located within the latch housing; and through them and openings in the sides I of the latch housing made therefor, a pivot pin 20 passes and is headed over at its ends. The pivot pin 20 is located in relatively close proximity to the inner side 8. The bolt at its beveled portion I! at its outer end, passes through the opening it located atv the front end of the housing and extends toward the ears I. The sides I! of the bolt have each formed therein a longitudinal slot 2! with closed ends. A pin 22 passes through the openings in the ears I! and through said slots, thereby providing a pivotal and sliding connection of the latch bolt with the sides It. A stop 23 is pressed inwardly from each of the sides l1 near the front end of the bolt, between which and the pin 22 a coiled compression spring 24 is located housed within the bolt. A second spring, a torsion spring 25, is around the pin' 2 having the two arms thereof, one bearing against the side of the housing and the other against the rear edge of the bridge I.

sides I! and the bridge I in a clockwise direction (Figs. to 8 inclusive).

The part l2 which is at the outer side and rear end of the housing has an opening made therethrough with a short, guide sleeve, as shown, around the opening, for the passage of a rod 26 which, when the latch bolt is in operative engagement with the keeper, as shown in Fig. 7, at its inner endwithin the housing, interposes a The normal tendency of said i spring is to turn the member consisting of the stop back of the bridge ll against the movement of said bridge and the connected sides I! in a counter-clockwise direction.

The latch housing with the latch bolt within it, assembled as described, is secured at the inner side of the door 2. The rod 2!, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, passes through an opening made through the door to the front side thereof. At its outer end (Fig. 1), it may have a pivotal connection to a hand lever 21 pivotaliy mounted on a suitable fixture secured at the outer side of the door. A pull outward on the free end of the handle will withdraw the rod 28. Said rod is normally moved inward when free for such movement by a coiled spring 28 associated therewith, as shown in Fig. 1. Instead of the handle 21 being used to with- .draw. the rod 26, a suitable escutcheon 29 may be secured against the outside of the door and use may be made of the same screws which pass through the flanges ll of the latch housing in connecting it at the inner side of the door to securely connect said escutcheon. The rod 25 at its outer end is equipped with a pull knob 3|! adapted to'be grasped by the hand to withdraw the rod against a spring ll, as shown, which normally moves the rod 28 to its inner operative position.

With the door closed (Fig. 1), the outer'end of the latch bolt bears upon the pin or roller 5 at its inner side with the parts. of the latch mechanism as in Fig. 1 and also in Fig. 7. The rod 26 is at the rear edge of the bridge it so that the latch bolt can not disengage from the keeper except by a substantially direct longitudinal movement to the position shown in Fig. 6. Such longitudinal movement with the door closed can not take place, as there is no applicable force possible to thus move the latch bolt when, with the door closed, it is connected with the keeper. To open the door the rod 28 is pulled outwardly. as by operating the handle 21, the knob Ill or any other of an indefinite number of means which can be used for such purpose. on an outward pull and movement of the rod 26, it is moved out of the path of movement of the bridge I and the latch bolt and the member carrying the bridge it moves from the position shown in Fig. 7 to that in Fig. a, substantially a breaking of the toggle lever structure being made, and requiring approximately only an overcoming of the strength of the spring 25. The latch bolt when thus tilted and drawn bodily inward'will, at its outer end, pass by the keeper pin or roller 5 and the door may be opened, such opening following naturally by reason of the outward pull on the handle. As soon as the handle is released after opening the door, springs 25 and 28 will return the parts to the position shown in Fig. 5.

On closing the door the beveled outer end l8 of the latch bolt rides against said keeper member 5. The first movement is a movement of the bridge it from the position in.F1g. 5 to that in Fig. 6, a very limited amount or until stopped by the rod 28. as the bolt is moved bodily inward until its outer end passes by the keeper member 5. In Fig. 6 it is shown at the initial stage of such passage.

After it has-passed bysaid keeper member I, spring 24 projects the latch bolt to the position shown in Fig. '7, the side it of the bolt riding against the inner side of the keeper pin or roller I. It will benoied that the side I9 is not all in the same plane but that the outer portion is inclined slightly with respect to the Thereafter spring 24 is compressed ward movement of the door under such engagement of the slightly inclined outer end portion of the side It with the pin I is small. therefore,

the force of the spring II is multiplied, in ac'- cordance with the principles of leverage, to coinbridge at it against the pin-2|, bearing thereagainst with pressure so that upon pulling the rod 20 outwardly, the latch has an initial movement toward its final opening position in Pig. 8, and is carriedto complete keeperdisengaging position shown in such figure, through the force exerted in pulling outwardly upon the handle or knob when the rod 28 is manually withdrawn plus the assisting force of the door gasket 8.

The structure described is of a very practical I cated between the edges of the sides of said housing and of less length than the length of the assaosa.

[mally hold the member against movable member being adapted to be moved away from its normal position to .release saidmember for pivotal movement. 1 s

2. A construction as defined in claim 1, said housing at a side thereof adjacent the remaining corner ofsaid member having a section lohousing provided with a guide'opening therethrough, said stop comprising a longitudinally movable rod extending through said opening back of said pivotally mounted member to hold it and simple form. By reason of the substantially a complete housing of the spring within the latch bolt, the overall length of the latch is reduced. The number -of parts used is at a substantial minimum. Door opening is rendered easy and the tight closing of the door is insured. The

. three major parts of the structure, all of sheet metal, may be produced economically by large quantity methods of fabrication. The assembly is very simple requiring merely the insertion of the spring 24 into the bolt, the connection of the-bolt with the ears I! by inserting the pin 22 through openings therein and the slots 2|,

and'the location of the bolt and its connected member within the housing, and a passage of a pin 2' through the openings in the housing sides and at the outer corners of the sides It and through the middle portion of the spring II, with the heading of the ends of said pin 2|.

Simplicity of structure with resultant economy in manufacture, and durability in service are primary characteristics of the present invention, together with insured sealing of the closed door and releasing the latch bolt from its keeper for door opening with a minimum of release motion and effort.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

We claim:

1. In a latch structure, a housing having spaced sides and having an end between said sides with an opening therethrough, a latch bolt located within the housing with a free end portion thereof adapted to pass through said opening, a member. located within the housing of a generally triangular form, a pivot pin carried by the housing upon which said member is mounted for pivotal movement at one of its corners located inwardly a distance from the inner end of the bolt and near the edges of said sides, a pin extending through said member at another corner thereof located outwardly'a distance from said first pin, said latch bolt having longitudinal slots for the passage of said pin therethrough, spring means housed in the bolt bearing at one end against second mentioned pin and at the other end, bearing against the bolt to normally .hold the bolt in an outer position with respect to said member, said bolt being movable inwardly on compression of said spring with said member held against movement, and a movable against movement, combined with yieldable springmeans normally moving said rod in stop- Dm position, said rod being adapted to be moved outwardly against the spring means acting thereon.

, 3. A latch structure including a housing of fiat v metalhaving parallel spaced sides, an inner side,

an outer end having an opening therethrough and an inner end having a portion extending therefrom of less length than the length'of said sides of the housing at the outer side thereof, said last mentioned section having a guide opening therethrough, a sheet metal bolt having a closed end of substantially rectangular form and four sides extending therefrom, the closed end of said bolt normally extending through saidopening in the end of the housing, two sides of said bolt being located in'parallel relation'to the spaced sides of the housing and having longitudinal slots, one in each side, a member of sheet metal having two spaced sides and abridge connecting said sides at one I edge thereof, said sides being of substantially triangular form, one of the corners of each of said sides extending to the slotted sides of said bolt and located in side ,by side relation therewith, a

pin extending through said corners and through the slots in said bolt, a coiled compression spring between said pin and the outer end of the bolt, a

pivot pin extending through one of the other cor-. ners of said sides of said member and through the spaced sides of said housing located adjacent the inner side of said housing, said bridge between the sides of the member being located adjacent and normally forward of the guide opening in said housing, and a longitudinally movable rod extending through said opening back of said bridge and in the path of movement thereof normally stopping its movement toward the inner end of said housing, said rod being adapted to be moved outwardly and out of the path of movement of said bridge.

4. A construction as defined in claim 3, and a spring associated with said member exerting force thereon to move the bridge portion thereof in a direction away from said rod, and a second spring associated with the rod normally moving said rod to its stopping position, said second spring being yieldable for outward movement of the rod.

5. A latch structure comprising, an elongated housing substantially rectangular in cross seca side extending from the inner end of the housing toward the outer end a part of thedistance between said ends whereby one side of the housing is partially open, said latch housing being adapted to be secured at the inner side of a door with said last mentioned side of the housing closely adjacent the door, the opening at the inner end of the housing being spaced inwardly from the door a short distance and extending movement, said substantially tothe inner side of said housing, a latch-bolt having an outer closed beveled end and four sides extending from the edges of said end, having an inner side adapted to lie against 1 the inner side of the housing, the two of said sides of the bolt located substantially perpendicular to v the side of the door having longitudinal'slots therein, said slotted sides of the bolt near their outer ends having inwardly extending projections, a spring within said housing bearing at one end against said projections, a member having two spaced sides, generally of triangular form, and a bridge connecting said sides at an edge thereof located adjacent the inner side of the door, said side of the member at one of the corners'thereof, extending to and having overlapping relation with the slotted sides of said bolt, a pin passing through the sides of said member at said corners and through said slots against which the other end of the spring bears, a pivot pin extending through the innermost corner of the sides of said member and through adjacent sides of the housing near the inner side of said housing. spring of said bridgemay bear, said rod being mounted for longitudinalmovement for fnovement away from said bridge and out of engagement therewith.

v ILOYD L. ANDERSON.

ROBERT E. JOHNSON.

nsmnncns orrnn The following references are of record in the ills of this patent:

Number name Date 2,136,662 Anderson Nov. 15, 1938 2,186,795 Anderson Jan. 9, 1940

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