AU703274B2 - A striker - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Invention Title: WHITCO PTY. LTD.

009 667 207) WAYNE GREGORY KRUEGER CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, Qld.. 4000, Australia.

A STRIKER S. P Details of Associated Provisional Application: No. PN0297 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to Us: This invention relates to a striker for a sliding wing such as a sliding door or window and where the striker is adjustable The invention will be described with reference to sliding doors but it should be appreciated that the invention can extend to use with other wings such as sliding windows.

Sliding doors and especially sliding security screen doors or sliding glass doors are fitted with a lock assembly to allow the door to be locked to the door surround frame.

The lock assembly typically comprises a striker on a vertical portion of the surround frame while the door is provided with a lock having a hooked tongue. The hooked tongue can rotate between a retracted free position and an extended locking position. In the locking position, the tongue hooks behind a shoulder on the striker to lock the door to the surround frame. Such locking assemblies are well known and many are described 20 in various of our earlier Australian patents.

To ensure that the door can be securely latched "or locked, it is necessary to ensure that the torigue and the striker are accurately spaced relative to each other so that the tongue will hook around or against the shoulder in the striker.

Due to the limited amount of space in the door surround frame, the striker and especially the cavity in which the striker sits or which forms part of the striker cannot be very large. Thus if the tongue extends too far o oo into the striker, it will strike the rear wall of the striker and will not securely latch or lock the door.

Similarly, if the tongue does not extend far enough into the striker, it can strike the shoulder rather than hook behind it, or even miss the shoulder altogether.

Previously, if the striker and tongue were found to be wrongly aligned, it was necessary to insert packing behind the striker to bring it more forward or to

I

cut around the striker to push it further into the surround frame. Occasionally, the tongue itself was filed down to make a better fit. The wrong alignment could occur during assembly and also through clontinued use of the components.

The present invention has developed an assembly where the striker can be adjusted to correct any misalignment between the striker and the tongue. Thus it may no longer be necessary to pack the striker, file the lock tongue or otherwise attempt to make the corponents fit together.

In one form, the invention comprises a striker for a sliding wing, the striker being able to be fitted to an edge of a surround frame for the wing and having an engagement member to which a lock tongue can engage, wherein when the striker is fitted to the frame, the engagement member is able to be threadingly rotated to allow it to be adjusted by being moved towards or away from the sliding wing.

By having the engagement member adjustable in its degree of extension from the remainder of the striker, it can be adjusted to ensure a good engagement with the lock tongue. Also upon continued use of the wing, the striker can be again adjusted if alignment difficulties occur.

The lock assembly may be of generally known design to fit into a recess in the edge of the winq. The wing may comprise a door or window. The lock tonque is typically of hooked configuration and can be rotatled to engage with or disengage with the engagement member on the striker.

The striker may comprise a backing member which may be substantially plate like in configuration and rectangular when viewed in plan. Fixing openings may be provided to allow the striker to be fastened to the surround frame.

The engagement member may comprise a projection having a shoulder portion against which the lock tongue can abut to latch or lock the wing to the surround frame, The shoulder portion may be "beak like" in configuration and may extend substantially at right angles to the o

S

e ee 4 projection.

The projection may comprise an elongate substantially linear member which may be substantially cylindrical in cross section. The projection may be adjustably mounted to the backing member to allow it to move away from or towards the backing member, Suitably, the projection is threadingly engageable with the backing member to allow it to be adjustable. Thus the projection may be provided with an external thread which can mate with an internal thread on an opening in the backing member. Rotation of the projection can then extend or retract the position of the shoulder member relative to the backing member.

To reduce any inadvertent rotation of the projection, friction means may be provided. The friction rieans may comprise a sleeve or abutment of plastic or other material which can contact the projection and supply friction thereto. Preferable, the friction means is sufficient to prevent or reduce inadvertent rotation 20 of the engagement member (for instance by door rattling) but insufficient to prevent intentional rotation of the engqement means.

SAn embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawing which illustrates an adjustable striker.

Referring to the drawing there is shown a striker 10 comprising a backing member 11, an engagement member 12 and a friction means 13. The striker can be fitted to a vertical portion of a door jamb by fasteners (not shown) which can pass through openings 14,15, which are elongate to allow for a degree of vertical adjustment. Backing member 11 can be formed from die cast o "metal or steel and is plate like in configuration and is of rectangular shape when viewed in plan. In the centre of backing member 11 there is an opening in the form of a hollow boss 16 which has an internal thread. Engagement member 12 has a cylindrical projection or shank 17 having an outer end provided with a shoulder 18. Shoulder 18 is beak like in configuration and functions to hook against the hook like tongue of the lock on the door. The projection 17 is outwardly threaded and can threadingly engage with the internal thread in the boss 16. Thus rotation of engagement member 12 in boss 16 causes shoulder 18 to move outwardly or inwardly relative to the backing member thereby providing adjustment to the striker. To prevent or minimise inadvertent rotation of the engagement member, a friction means is provided. The friction means is a plastic (typically nylon) packing sheet 20 having a central hollow boss 21 which can fit into boss 16. The nylon sheet is sandwiched between the two threads and functions as an effective friction means.

In use, the striker can be fitted to a door frame member and the engagement member can be rotated in the desired direction until the lock tongue of the door lock can smoothly and securely attach itself to the striker.

It should be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiment described. For instance, the friction means may comprise a sleeve which fits within boss 16.

C

*E*

*i

Claims (13)

1. A striker for a sliding wing, the striker being able to be fitted to an edge of a surround frame for the wing and having an engagement member to which a lock tongue can engage, wherein when the striker is fitted to the frame, the engagement member is able to be threadingly rotated to allow it to be adjusted by being moved towards or away from the sliding wing.

2. The striker of claim 1, wherein the sliding wing is a sliding door or a sliding window.

3. The striker of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the striker has a backing member.

4. The striker of claim 3, wherein the backing member is plate like in configuration.

5. The striker of claim 3 or 4, wherein the backing member is rectangular when viewed in plan. i:

6. The striker of any one of claims 3 to wherein the engagement member is threadingly engaged to the backing member.

7. The striker of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the engagement member is an extending projection having a shoulder portion against which the lock tongue can abut to latch or lock the wing to a wing surround frame. 25

8. The striker of claim 7, wherein the projection .is threaded to allow it to threadingly engage the backing member.

9. The striker of any one of the preceding clalims, including friction means to prevent inadvertent adjustment of the engagement member.

The striker of claim 9, wherein the friction means is a plastic packer which grips the engaqement member to prevent inadvertent adjustment of the member, but still allowing deliberate adjustments to be made'.

11. A striker substantially ais her inbi ore described with reference to the drawings.

12. A lock assembly comprising the striker of any one of the preceding claims and a lock having a lock Ir I tongue engagable with the engagement member.

13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the lock tongue is of a configuration which has a hooked nose and which is rotated to engage with or disengage with the engagement member on the striker. DATED this 7th day of January 1999 WHITCO PTY LTD By their Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO. a e 4 I 8 ABSTRACT A striker for a sliding door or window has an adjustable lock tongue engaging member to allow efficient latching or locking of the sliding door or window even if the door or window is misaligned.