Access door with inside latch release
View Patent ↗An apparatus and method providing a quick-release latch mechanism for a walled enclosure access door. The latch mechanism includes a striker with one end slidably inserted into the enclosure and the other end located outside the enclosure. A keeper is located within the enclosure and adapted to releasably engage and be captively held by the striker when the access door is in the closed position. If necessary, the access door can be readily unlatched from within the enclosure by manually rotating the keeper away from the enclosure wall to disengage and cause removal of the striker as the access door is being manually pushed open from within the enclosure.
1. A quick-release latch mechanism for use with an access door for a walled enclosure, the door having inner and outer sides and being pivotably mounted on a door frame for swinging between open and closed positions, the latch comprising:
a striker having a proximal end located on the outer side of the door and a distal end slidably extending into the enclosure through a corresponding slot formed in the door frame, wherein the proximal end of the striker includes a threaded member pivotably mounted thereon;
a keeper located within the enclosure adjacent the inner side of the door and adapted to releasably engage and be captively held by the striker when the door is in the closed position, the keeper being manually operable from within the enclosure if necessary to unlatch the door and cause removal of the striker from the slot as the door is pushed open; and
at least one yoke, wherein the at least one yoke is secured to the outer side of the door, the yoke having one end hinged to brackets secured to the door frame and the other end notched to engage the threaded section of the striker.
2. The latch mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the keeper is a latch handle having a forked cam at one end and a pistol-type grip at the other end.
3. The latch mechanism of claim 2 , including a catch pin mounted in the cam end of the latch handle.
4. The latch mechanism of claim 3 , including a latching hook at the distal end of the striker.
5. The latch mechanism of claim 4 , wherein the pistol-type grip bears against the inside of the enclosure wall and the forked cam end and catch pin are engaged with the latching hook when the door is in the closed position.
6. The latch mechanism of claim 4 , wherein the latch handle is manually rotated away from the inside of the enclosure wall to release the catch pin from the latching hook thereby allowing the door to be pushed to the open position.
7. The latch mechanism of claim 4 , wherein the latching hook includes a notch shaped to receive the catch pin.
8. A method of latching and unlatching a walled enclosure access door for quick release from within the enclosure, the method comprising the steps of:
pivotably mounting a door on a door frame for swinging between open and closed positions;
mounting a yoke onto the door;
providing a latch handle inside the enclosure, the latch handle having a pistol-type grip at one end and a forked cam at the other end with a catch pin mounted therein;
providing a striker with a latching hook at one end;
inserting the latching hook end into the enclosure;
positioning the latch handle with the pistol-type grip end abutting the inside of the enclosure wall and the catch pin engaging the latching hook;
pushing the door to its closed position for engagement with the other end of the striker;
applying inward pressure to the exterior of the door while the door is in the closed position; and
if necessary, unlatching the door from within the enclosure by rotating the latch handle away from the enclosure wall thereby causing the catch pin to disengage itself from the latching hook with the latching hook being removed from the enclosure as the door is pushed open.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of unlatching the door includes rotating the latch handle away from the inside of the enclosure wall.
10. The method of claim 8 , including the step of forming a slot in the door frame such that the latching hook is free to move into and out of the enclosure.
11. A quick-release latch mechanism for use with an access door for a walled enclosure, the door having inner and outer sides and being pivotably mounted on a door frame for swinging between open and closed positions, the latch comprising:
a striker having a proximal end located on the outer side of the door and a distal end slidably extending into the enclosure through a corresponding slot formed in the door frame, wherein the proximal end of the striker includes a threaded member pivotably mounted thereon;
a keeper located within the enclosure adjacent the inner side of the door and adapted to releasably engage and be captively held by the striker when the door is in the closed position, the keeper being manually operable from within the enclosure if necessary to unlatch the door and cause removal of the striker from the slot as the door is pushed open; and
a turning handle threadably engaged with the threaded member of the striker to apply inward pressure to the exterior of the door while the door is in the closed position.
12. The latch mechanism of claim 11 , wherein the keeper is a latch handle having a forked cam at one end and a pistol-type grip at the other end.
13. The latch mechanism of claim 12 , including a catch pin mounted in the cam end of the latch handle.
14. The latch mechanism of claim 13 , including a latching hook at the distal end of the striker.
15. The latch mechanism of claim 14 , wherein the pistol-type grip bears against an interior surface of the walled enclosure and the forked cam end and catch pin are engaged with the latching hook when the door is in the closed position.
16. The latch mechanism of claim 14 , wherein the latch handle is manually rotated away from an interior surface of the walled enclosure to release the catch pin from the latching hook thereby allowing the door to be pushed to the open position.
17. The latch mechanism of claim 14 , wherein the latching hook includes a notch shaped to receive the catch pin.
18. A method of latching and unlatching a walled enclosure access door for quick release from within the enclosure, the method comprising the steps of:
pivotably mounting the door on a door frame for swinging between open and closed positions;
mounting a yoke onto the door;
providing a latch handle inside the enclosure, the latch handle having a pistol-type grip at one end and a forked cam at the other end with a catch pin mounted therein;
providing a striker with a latching hook at one end;
inserting the latching hook end into the enclosure;
positioning the latch handle with the pistol-type grip end abutting the inside of the enclosure wall and the catch pin engaging the latching hook;
pushing the door to its closed position for engagement with the other end of the striker;
applying inward pressure to the exterior of the door while the door is in the closed position, wherein the step of applying inward pressure to the exterior of the door includes meshing the yoke with the striker; and
if necessary, unlatching the door from within the enclosure by rotating the latch handle away from the enclosure wall thereby causing the catch pin to disengage itself from the latching hook with the latching hook being removed from the enclosure as the door is pushed open.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the step of meshing the yoke with the striker includes turning means threadably engaged with the striker.
20. The method of claim 19 , including the step of rotating the turning means clockwise to apply inward pressure to the exterior of the door.
21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the step of unlatching the door includes rotating the latch handle away from the inside of the enclosure wall.
22. The method of claim 18 , including the step of forming a slot in the door frame such that the latching hook is free to move into and out of the enclosure.
23. A quick-release latch mechanism for use with an access door for a walled enclosure, the door having inner and outer sides and being pivotably mounted on a door frame for swinging between open and closed positions, the latch comprising:
a striker having a proximal end located on the outer side of the door and a distal end slidably extending into the enclosure through a corresponding slot formed in the door frame; and
a keeper located within the enclosure adjacent the inner side of the door and adapted to releasably engage and be captively held by the striker when the door is in the closed position, the keeper being manually operable from within the enclosure if necessary to unlatch the door and cause complete removal of the keeper from the striker and thus the complete removal of the distal end of the striker from the slot as the door is pushed open, wherein the proximal end of the striker remains coupled to the door.
24. The latch mechanism of claim 23 , wherein the keeper is a latch handle having a forked cam at one end and a pistol-type grip at the other end.
25. The latch mechanism of claim 24 , including a catch pin mounted in the cam end of the latch handle.
26. The latch mechanism of claim 25 , including a latching hook at the distal end of the striker.
27. The latch mechanism of claim 26 , wherein the pistol-type grip bears against the inside of the enclosure wall and the forked cam end and catch pin are engaged with the latching hook when the door is in the closed position.
28. The latch mechanism of claim 26 , wherein the latch handle is manually rotated away from the inside of the enclosure wall to release the catch pin from the latching hook thereby allowing the door to be pushed to the open position.
29. The latch mechanism of claim 26 , wherein the latching hook includes a notch shaped to receive the catch pin.
30. The latch mechanism of claim 23 , wherein the proximal end of the striker includes a threaded member pivotably mounted thereon.
31. The latch mechanism of claim 30 , including at least one yoke secured to the outer side of the door, the yoke having one end hinged to brackets secured to the door frame and the other end notched to engage the threaded section of the striker.
32. The latch mechanism of claim 30 , including a turning handle threadably engaged with the threaded member of the striker to apply inward pressure to the exterior of the door while the door is in the closed position.