US 12,258,786 B2
Magnetic privacy lock control
Cameron Neil Carr, Santa Barbara, CA (US); and Andrew Martin Vonnegut, Santa Barbara, CA (US)
Filed by Cameron Neil Carr, Santa Barbara, CA (US); and Andrew Martin Vonnegut, Santa Barbara, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 20, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/998,351.
Prior Publication US 2022/0056733 A1, Feb. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. E05B 47/00 (2006.01); E05B 63/08 (2006.01); E05B 65/00 (2006.01); E05B 65/08 (2006.01)
CPC E05B 47/00 (2013.01) [E05B 47/0038 (2013.01); E05B 63/08 (2013.01); E05B 65/0035 (2013.01); E05B 65/08 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for locking or unlocking a door privacy lock with a magnetic field and without an operator passing a key into any part of a lock mechanism or a door, comprising:
using a magnetic object to draw or push a shaft actuator magnet located at an end of a shaft;
the magnetic object causing the shaft to pass through a collar configured such that the shaft cannot rotate;
wherein the collar comprises collar magnets and the shaft further comprises shaft neutral position magnets of opposite polarity to the collar magnets, the shaft being retained in a starting position by attraction of said collar magnets and said shaft neutral position magnets prior to the magnetic object acting on the shaft actuator magnet;
moving said shaft through said collar, bringing a shaft magnet located on the opposite end of the shaft from the shaft actuator magnet into magnetic range of a lock trigger magnet of the same polarity as the shaft magnet, causing a lock actuator cam to move away from the the shaft magnet;
the lock actuator cam configured such that an end of the lock actuator cam is located a distance from the lock trigger magnet and the shaft magnet so that the end of the lock actuator cam moves a greater distance than the shaft trigger magnet moves from the shaft magnet;
withdrawing the magnetic object causing the collar magnets to attract the shaft neutral position magnets, drawing the shaft to the starting position;
the lock actuator cam remaining in the position located by the shaft magnet after withdrawal of the shaft magnet;
the shaft, the shaft actuator magnet, the collar, the collar magnets, the shaft magnet, the lock trigger magnet, and the lock actuator cam all being enclosed in the door or the lock mechanism;
wherein during operation manipulating the magnetic object moves the shaft actuator magnet, and moving of the shaft towards or away from the magnetic object causes a lock actuator cam to move, and wherein movement of the lock actuator cam is configured for securing or releasing the privacy lock.