Door latch assembly with movable lock plate
A latch assembly for a door comprising a bolt disposed on the door, the bolt movable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The latch assembly further includes a lock plate disposed on a door jamb, the lock plate movable between an upper position and a lower position. During operation, when the bolt is in the locked position, the bolt slideably engages the lock plate to move the lock plate from the lower position to an upper position to enable the bolt to be inserted within an opening in the lock plate to secure the door in a closed position.
1. A latch assembly for a sliding door movable between an open position and a closed position, the latch assembly comprising:
a bolt having a sloped leading edge and a trailing edge, the bolt extending through a wall of the door and movable between a locked position, to secure the door in the closed position, and an unlocked position, to enable movement of the door from the closed position to the open position;
a lock plate disposed on a door jamb wall, the lock plate having a front and a back surfaces and a hole extending through the lock plate between the front and the back surfaces, the lock plate longitudinally slidable along the door jamb wall between a first position and a second position wherein the bolt, when in the locked position, slideably engages the lock plate at the sloped leading edge as the door is moved toward the closed position to move the lock plate from the first position to the second position to enable the bolt to be inserted within the through hole;
wherein the lock plate moves to a third position in response to the trailing edge passing through the opening, the trailing edge oriented in a plane parallel to the plane of the lock plate when the bolt is in the locked position to lock the door in the closed position; and
wherein the bolt moves to the unlocked position to align the trailing edge with the opening while the lock plate remains stationary to facilitate movement of the door from the closed position toward the open position.
2. The latch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lock plate comprises a slot to receive a fastener for securing the lock plate to a door jamb, wherein the lock plate is movable relative to the fastener.
3. The latch assembly of claim 2 , wherein the fastener comprises a screw having an outer sleeve to reduce frictional contact between the lock plate and the fastener when the lock plate moves.
4. The latch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bolt comprises a hook to engage the lock plate.
5. The latch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bolt is movable to the unlocked position to disengage from the lock plate.
6. The latch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the door is a sliding door.
7. A latch assembly for a door, comprising:
a bolt disposed within the door and extending from a wall of the door and moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the bolt having a sloped leading edge and a trailing edge;
a lock plate disposed on a wall of a door jamb, the door jamb wall facing the wall of the door, the lock plate having a front and a back surfaces and a hole extending through the lock plate between the front and the back surfaces, the hole to receive the bolt when the bolt is in the locked position, the lock plate longitudinally slidable along the door jamb wall and lifted by the sloped leading edge of the bolt from a first position to a second position in response to sliding contact between the sloped leading edge and the through hole as the door is moved toward a closed position, and the lock plate, after passing the sloped leading edge and the trailing edge, moves from the second position to a third position by gravity such that the trailing edge is in a plane parallel and adjacent to a plane that the lock plate is disposed in, for securing the door in a closed position; and
the bolt is moved to the unlocked position by aligning the trailing edge of the bolt with the through hole while the lock plate remains stationary to unlock the door from the closed position.
8. The latch assembly of claim 7 , wherein the lock plate comprises a slot to receive a fastener for securing the lock plate to the door jamb, wherein the lock plate is movable relative to the fastener.
9. The latch assembly of claim 8 , wherein the fastener comprises a screw having an outer sleeve to reduce frictional contact between the lock plate and the fastener when the lock plate moves.
10. The latch assembly of claim 7 , wherein the bolt comprises a hook to engage the lock plate.
11. The latch assembly of claim 7 , wherein the third position is different from the first and second positions.
12. The latch assembly of claim 11 , wherein the bolt is movable to the unlocked position in response to movement of a handle.
13. The latch assembly of claim 8 , wherein the door is a sliding door.
14. The latch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first position and the third position are the same.