Sliding bolt latch and use thereof
View Patent ↗A sliding bolt latch as disclosed herein is convenient to use and more reliable than counterpart door locking mechanisms of the prior art. A user may open and close a door with only one hand, but the present mechanism requires both a rotational movement and a translational movement of elements against a biasing force. Such requirement makes opening doors much more difficult for livestock confined to spaces by the closed doors. Also, the biasing of elements into the locking state makes embodiments of the invention less likely to unlock inadvertently in the presence of ambient vibrations.
1. A sliding bolt latch, comprising:
a slidable bolt extending along a bolt axis and rotatable thereabout;
a biasing member for biasing the slidable bolt along the bolt axis;
a projection extending from the slidable bolt; and
a base including:
a first bolt guide;
a second bolt guide spaced away from the first bolt guide along the bolt axis; and
a barrier spaced away from the first and second bolt guides along the bolt axis, said barrier including an open end facing said first bolt guide, a closed end opposite to and spaced away from said open end along the bolt axis, and at least one wall extending between the open end and the closed end, wherein said barrier is configured for being selectively engaged by the projection at a first distance from the first bolt guide, for simultaneously limiting rotational movement of the projection about said bolt axis and sliding movement of the projection along said bolt axis in a direction away from the first bolt guide;
wherein said slidable bolt is displaceable between:
a locked position, in which said projection is engaged with the closed end of the barrier at said first distance from the first bolt guide, and the closed end and the at least one wall simultaneously limit the sliding movement of the projection along said bolt axis in the direction away from the first bolt guide and the rotational movement of the projection about said bolt axis, respectively, and
an unlocked position, in which said projection is disengaged from said barrier and is disposed at a second distance from said first bolt guide, which is greater than said first distance;
wherein said slidable bolt is displaceable between said locked position and unlocked position is displaceable initially in a direction towards said first bolt guide and subsequently in the direction away from said first bolt guide.
2. The sliding bolt latch according to claim 1 , wherein said slidable bolt is further displaceable through a transition position between said locked position and said unlocked position, in which said projection is disengaged from said barrier, and in which said projection is disposed at any third distance from said bolt guide, which is shorter than said first distance.
3. The sliding bolt latch according to claim 2 , wherein in said transition position, the projection is free for rotation about said bolt axis at an angle which is equal to or smaller than in said unlocked position.
4. The sliding bolt latch according to claim 2 , wherein at said transition position, said projection is rotatable with respect to said barrier by an angle of at least 180 degrees.
5. The sliding bolt latch of claim 1 , wherein in said unlocked position, said projection is rotatable with respect to said base by an angle of at least 180 degrees.
6. The sliding bolt latch of claim 5 , wherein in said unlocked position, said projection is rotatable with respect to said base by an angle of 360 degrees.
7. The sliding bolt latch of claim 1 , wherein said biasing member is disposed between said first bolt guide and said projection.
8. The sliding bolt latch of claim 1 , further comprising a handle integral with the slidable bolt.
9. The sliding bolt latch of claim 8 , wherein said handle has a handle axis extending therealong, and the handle axis is angled with respect to the bolt axis.
10. The sliding bolt latch of claim 1 , wherein said biasing member includes a spring.
11. The sliding bolt latch of claim 10 , wherein said spring includes a compression spring.
12. A sliding bolt latch assembly comprising:
the sliding bolt latch of claim 1 ; and
a brace for constraining translational movement of the slidable bolt to the bolt axis when the slidable bolt is in one region of axial positions and for allowing translational movement of the slidable bolt in addition to axial movement when the slidable bolt is in another region of axial positions.
13. The sliding bolt latch according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between the closed end and the open end is no less than a dimension of the projection parallel to said bolt axis.
14. The sliding bolt latch according to claim 1 , wherein at said unlocked position of said slidable bolt, said projection engages with said second bolt guide.
15. A sliding bolt latch, comprising:
a slidable bolt extending along a bolt axis and rotatable thereabout;
a biasing member for biasing the slidable bolt along the bolt axis;
a projection extending from the slidable bolt; and
a base including:
a first bolt guide with a first side facing the projection and an opposite second side;
a second bolt guide spaced away from the first bolt guide along the bolt axis; and
a barrier spaced away from the first and second bolt guides along the bolt axis, said barrier including an open end facing said first bolt guide, a closed end opposite to and spaced away from said open end along the bolt axis, and at least one wall extending between the open end and the closed end, wherein said barrier is configured for being selectively engaged by the projection for simultaneously limiting rotational movement of the projection about said bolt axis and sliding movement of the projection along said bolt axis in a direction away from the first bolt guide;
wherein said slidable bolt is displaceable between:
a locked position, in which said projection is engaged with the closed end of the barrier, the closed end and the at least one wall simultaneously limit the sliding movement of the projection along said bolt axis in the direction away from the first bolt guide and the rotational movement of the projection about said bolt axis, respectively, and an end of the slidable bolt extends from said second side of the first bolt guide to a first extent from the second side, and
an unlocked position, in which said projection is disengaged from said barrier and the end of the slidable bolt extends from the second side to a second extent, which is shorter than said first extent;
wherein said slidable bolt is displaceable between said locked position and unlocked position is displaceable initially in a direction towards said first bolt guide and subsequently in the direction away from said first bolt guide.
16. The sliding bolt latch according to claim 15 , wherein said slidable bolt is further displaceable through a transition position between said locked position and said unlocked position, in which said projection is disengaged from said barrier, and in which the end of the slidable bolt extends from the second side to a third extent, which is greater than said first extent.
17. The sliding bolt latch of claim 15 , further comprising a handle integral with the slidable bolt.
18. The sliding bolt latch of claim 17 , wherein said handle has a handle axis extending therealong, and the handle axis is angled with respect to the bolt axis.
19. The sliding bolt latch of claim 15 , wherein said biasing member is disposed between said first bolt guide and said projection.
20. A method for operating a sliding bolt latch comprising: a slidable bolt extending along a bolt axis and rotatable thereabout; a spring biasing the slidable bolt along the bolt axis; a projection extending from the slidable bolt; and a base having a first bolt guide, a second bolt guide spaced away from the first bolt guide along the bolt axis, and a barrier disposed between the first bolt guide and the second bolt guide along the bolt axis, said barrier having an open end facing said bolt guide, a closed end opposite to and spaced away from said open end along the bolt axis, and at least one wall extending between the open end and the closed end, wherein said barrier is configured for being selectively engaged by the projection at a first distance from the first bolt guide, for simultaneously limiting rotational movement of the projection about said bolt axis and sliding movement of the projection along said bolt axis in a direction away from the first bolt guide; said method comprising:
positioning said slidable bolt at a locked position, in which said projection is engaged with the closed end of the barrier at a first distance from the first bolt guide and the closed end and the at least one wall simultaneously limit the sliding movement of the projection along said bolt axis in the direction away from the first bolt guide and the rotational movement of the projection about said bolt axis, respectively; and
displacing said slidable bolt from said locked position to an unlocked position, in which said projection is disengaged from said barrier and is disposed at a second distance from said first bolt guide, which is greater than said first distance;
wherein displacing said slidable bolt between said locked position and unlocked position comprises displacing said slidable bolt initially in a direction towards said first bolt guide and subsequently in the direction away from said first bolt guide.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein said displacing said slidable bolt from said locked position to said unlocked position includes:
sliding said slidable bolt along said bolt axis toward said first bolt guide so as to position said projection at a third distance from said first bolt guide, which is shorter than said first distance, and in which said projection is disengaged from said barrier, thereby causing said slidable bolt to assume a transition position;
rotating said slidable bolt about said bolt axis; and
sliding said slidable bolt in a direction away from said first bolt guide.
22. The method of claim 20 , wherein said sliding of said slidable bolt along said bolt axis toward said first bolt guide is performed against a biasing force of said spring.