Quick release mechanism for window guard or the like

Claim 2

A quick release latching device for releasably securing a guard to a wall surrounding an opening in said wall, comprising: a tube member supported on said wall and extending between inner and outer portions of said wall, a sleeve member mounted on an outer portion of said wall and attached to said tube member near one end of said tube member, a rod member slidably mounted within the tube member and extending from a point beyond the inner surface of said wall to a point within said sleeve member, a latching member attached to the end of said rod member extending within said sleeve member, manually operable actuator member attached to the end of said rod member extending beyond the inner surface of said wall, a resilient retainer collet attached to said one end of said tube member proximate to where the sleeve member is attached thereto, and retainer means attached to said guard and having a receptacle formed therein for receiving said retainer collet, said latching member forcing said collet against the inner wall of said receptacle to secure the sleeve member to the receptacle when the device is in the latched condition, said sleeve member being released from the receptacle when the actuator member is depressed towards the inner wall surface to draw the latching member away from the collet.

Claim 3

The latching device of claim 1 wherein said retainer means and said sleeve member are tubular, at least a portion of said retainer means fitting within said sleeve member in internal concentricity therewith.

Claim 4

The latching device of claim 1 and further including spring means placed between said latching member and said receptacle for resiliently urging said receptacle away from said latching member whereby when the actuator member is depressed to draw the latching member away from the collet, said spring means drives the latching member and the receptacle away from each other.

Claim 5

The device of claim 1 wherein said collet comprises a plurality of flared resilient fingers adapted to be squeezed inwardly or expanded outwardly in response to inwardly or outwardly directed pressure respectively, said latching member having a tapered portion which drives said fingers outwardly against the inner wall of said receptacle when the device is in the latched condition.

Claim 6

The device of claim 4 wherein said receptacle has a first wall portion which tapers inwardly towards the mouth of the receptacle, and a second wall portion adjacent to said first wall portion and located at the mouth of said receptacle which tapers outwardly from said first wall portion.

Claim 7

The latching device of claim 3 wherein the spring means comprises a coil spring, said latching member having a recess formed therein into which one end of the spring is fitted, the receptacle having a chamber formed therein into which the other end of the spring is fitted.

Claim 8

The latching device of claim 1 and further including a pivotally mounted lever bar for use in actuating said actuator member.

Claim 9

In a window guard grille for covering a window, a quick release latching device for securing said grille to a wall surrounding said window comprising: a sleeve member fixedly attached to an outer portion of said wall and extending through said outer wall portion, a tube member attached near one end thereof to said sleeve and mounted within said sleeve in internal concentricity therewith and attached to an inner portion of said wall at the other end thereof, a collet member attached to said one end of said tube member and having a plurality of resilient fingers flaring out from the end of said tube member, a rod member slidably mounted within said tube member in internal concentricity therewith, one end of said rod member extending through said inner wall portion beyond the other end of said tube member, the other end of said rod member extending through said one end of said tube member to within said sleeve member, a latching member attached to the other end of said rod member, said latching member having a truncated conical portion tapering in the direction towards said one end of the rod member, a knob attached to said one end of said rod member for manually actuating said rod member, and a receptacle member attached to said guard grille having a tubular portion which fits within said sleeve member in internal concentricity therewith, said tubular portion forming a chamber which receives said collet and latching members, said latching member operating to spread the resilient fingers of the collet against the inner wall of the chamber to secure the sleeve member to the receptacle member when the device is in the latched condition, said sleeve member being released from the receptacle member when the rod member is actuated to draw the latching member away from the collet thereby permitting the resilient fingers to be forced inwardly.

Claim 10

In a window guard grille for covering a window, a quick release latching device for securing said grille to a wall surrounding said window comprising: a sleeve member fixedly attached to an outer portion of said wall and extending through said outer wall portion, a tube member attached near one end thereof to said sleeve and mounted within said sleeve in internal concentricity therewith and attached to an inner portion of said wall at the other end thereof, a collet member attached to said one end of said tube member and having a plurality of resilient fingers flaring out from the end of said tube member, a rod member slidably mounted within said tube member in internal concentricity therewith, one end of said rod member extending through said inner wall portion beyond the other end of said tube member, the other end of said rod member extending through said one end of said tube member to within said sleeve member, a latching member attached to the other end of said rod member, said latching member having a truncated conical portion tapering in the direction towards said one end of the rod member, a knob attached to said one end of said rod member for manually actuating said rod member, and a receptacle member attached to said guard grille having a tubular portion which fits within said sleeve member in internal concentricity therewith, said tubular portion forming a chamber which receives said collet and latching members, said latching member operating to spread the resilient fingers of the collet against the inner wall of the chamber to secure the sleeve member to the receptacle member when the device is in the latched condition, said sleeve member being released from the receptacle member when the rod member is actuated to draw the latching member away from the collet thereby permitting the resilient fingers to be forced inwardly.

Claim 11

The latching device of claim 8 and further including spring means placed between said latching member and said receptacle member for resiliently urging said receptacle member away from said latching member whereby when the knob is actuated to draw the latching member away from the collet, said spring means drives the latching member and the receptacle member away from each other.

Claim 12

The latching device of claim 9 wherein the spring means comprises a coil spring, said latching member having a recess formed therein into which one end of the spring is fitted, the receptacle member having a second chamber formed therein into which the other end of the spring is fitted.

Claim 13

The device of claim 8 wherein said receptacle member has a first wall portion which tapers inwardly towards the mouth of the receptacle member, and a second wall portion adjacent to said first wall portion and located at the mouth of said receptacle member which tapers outwardly from said first wall portion.

Claim 14

The latching device of claim 8 and further including a pivotally mounted lever bar for use in actuating said knob.