Door catch

Claim 2

A door catch device mounted on a door comprising: a housing mounted on the door; a lever arm; mounting means for pivotably mounting the lever arm to the housing for movement between a first and second position; a shank pivotably mounted to the lever arm at a distance apart from the mounting means mounting the lever arm to the housing; guide means for guiding the pivotably mounted shank to a first and second position when the lever arm is in a corresponding first and second position; a keeper mounted adjacent the door for engagement with the shank when in the first position; biasing means for biasing the shank and lever arm to their respective second positions when the shank and lever arm are in the respective first positions; and a latch pivotably mounted on the shank for coupling with the lever arm when the shank and lever arm are in their respective first positions and for retaining the shank and lever arm in the first positions; the latch being disengageable from the lever arm when moved to allow the biasing means to move the lever arm and shank to the second position.

Claim 3

A door catch device as defined in claim 1 wherein the guide means comprises: the housing having flanges defining planes transverse to the plane defined by the door; slots extending through the flanges; and a cylindroid pin mounted on the shank and extending through the slots, the cylindroid pin movable between a first and second position in the slots corresponding to the first and second position of the shank and lever arm.

Claim 4

A door catch device as defined in claim 2 wherein the latch is mounted on the cylindroid pin of the guide means.

Claim 5

A door catch as defined in claim 3 wherein the latch extends through a slot in the shank and an aligned slot through the lever arm, the latch is spring biased to engage the lever arm.

Claim 6

A door catch device as defined in claim 4 and further comprising a camming means formed on the latch for automatically engaging the lever arm when moved from a second to the first position.

Claim 7

A door catch device as defined in claim 5 and further comprising means for preventing the latch from disaligning with the slot through the lever arm such that the lever arm is free to move from the second to first position.

Claim 8

A door catch device as defined in claim 1 further comprising a striker plate mounted adjacent the door; and camming means on the shank for engaging the striker plate to urge the shank and lever arm from the second to the first position.

Claim 9

A door catch device as defined in claim 1 wherein the lever arm extends beyond an edge of the door and the lever is aligned over the shank and keeper.

Claim 10

A door catch device mounted on a door comprising: a housing mounted on the door; a lever arm; mounting means for pivotably mounting the lever arm to the housing for movement between a first and second position; a shank pivotably mounted to the lever arm at a distance from the mounting means mounting the lever arm to the housing; a guide means connecting the shank to the housing for guiding the pivotably mounted shank to a corresponding first and second position when the lever arm is in the first or second position, the guide means comprising: arcuate track means defining an arc in a plane transverse to the plane defined by the door, the arc having a transverse portion and parallel portion with respect to the plane defined by the door, the parallel portion being farther from the door than the transverse portion; a track insert means mounted to the shank for movement in the arcuate track means when the shank is moved between the first and second positions, the track insert in engagement with the transverse portion when the shank and lever arm are in or near the first position and the track insert in engagement with the parallel section when the shank and lever arm are in or near the second position; a keeper mounted adjacent the door for engagement with the shank when in the first position; biasing means for biasing the shank and lever arm to the second position; a latch connected to the housing for engagement with the lever arm when the lever arm is in the first position and capable of disengagement from the lever arm to allow the biasing means to move the lever arm to the second position.

Claim 11

A door catch device mounted on a door comprising: a housing mounted on the door; a lever arm; mounting means for pivotably mounting the lever arm to the housing for movement between a first and second position; a shank pivotably mounted to the lever arm at a distance from the mounting means mounting the lever arm to the housing; a guide means connecting the shank to the housing for guiding the pivotably mounted shank to a corresponding first and second position when the lever arm is in the first or second position, the guide means comprising: arcuate track means defining an arc in a plane transverse to the plane defined by the door, the arc having a transverse portion and parallel portion with respect to the plane defined by the door, the parallel portion being farther from the door than the transverse portion; a track insert means mounted to the shank for movement in the arcuate track means when the shank is moved between the first and second positions, the track insert in engagement with the transverse portion when the shank and lever arm are in or near the first position and the track insert in engagement with the parallel section when the shank and lever arm are in or near the second position; a keeper mounted adjacent the door for engagement with the shank when in the first position; biasing means for biasing the shank and lever arm to the second position; a latch connected to the housing for engagement with the lever arm when the lever arm is in the first position and capable of disengagement from the lever arm to allow the biasing means to move the lever arm to the second position.

Claim 12

A door catch as defined in claim 9 further comprising two outwardly extending flanges from the housing wherein: the lever arm and shank fit between the flanges, the arcuate track means are slots located in the flanges and have an outer arcuate edge; the track insert is a cylindroid pin mounted on the shank and extending through the slots.

Claim 13

A door catch as defined in claim 10 wherein the inner edges of the slots are inclined to the plane defined by the door between an angle between 20° and 40° and are sloped toward the door and keeper.

Claim 14

A door catch as defined in claim 10 wherein the latch is mounted on the cylindroid pin.

Claim 15

A door catch as defined in claim 12 wherein the latch extends through a slot in the shank and an aligned slot through the lever arm, the latch is spring biased to engage the lever arm.

Claim 16

A door catch device as defined in claim 13 and further comprising a camming means formed on the latch for automatically engaging the lever arm when moved from a second to first position.

Claim 17

A door catch device as defined in claim 14 and further comprising means for preventing the latch from misaligning with the slot through the lever arm such that the lever arm is free to move from the second to first position.