Patents by Inventor Michael O. Vaught

Michael O. Vaught has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5161840
    Abstract: A door handle for breaking a vacuum seal and opening a door in a single operation includes a handle and a latch cam, attached to the door, and a pin, attached to a frame of the door. The pin is engageable with a slot positioned on the latch cam. The slot extends circumferentially around at least a portion of the diameter of the latch cam. Due to the configuration of the slot, as the pin travels within the slot to a closed end of the slot, the pin progresses from a position farther from the door to a position closer to the door, causing the pin to exert pressure on a second surface of the slot, which pulls the door toward the frame to close the door. As the pin travels within the slot away from the closed end of the slot, the pin progresses from a position closer to the door to a position farther from the door, causing a first surface of the slot to exert pressure on the pin, which breaks the vacuum seal and unlatches the door to open the door of a housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1992
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Michael O. Vaught