A lock assembly that has a locked state and an unlocked state. The lock assembly includes a latch assembly that has a latch and a clutch mechanism. The clutch mechanism includes a first retractor that is movable in response to movement of an interior handle assembly and selectively in response to mo
A lock assembly that has a locked state and an unlocked state. The lock assembly includes a latch assembly that has a latch and a clutch mechanism. The clutch mechanism includes a first retractor that is movable in response to movement of an interior handle assembly and selectively in response to movement of the exterior handle assembly, and a second retractor that is movable in response to movement of the interior handle assembly and the exterior handle assembly. The first retractor is always engaged with the latch assembly to move the latch between the extended position and the retracted position. The second retractor is selectively disengaged from the latch assembly and is movable relative to the first retractor when the lock assembly is in the locked state.
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1. A lock assembly having a locked state and an unlocked state, the lock assembly comprising: a latch assembly having a latch movable between an extended position and a retracted position;an interior handle assembly including an interior handle;an exterior handle assembly opposite the interior handl
1. A lock assembly having a locked state and an unlocked state, the lock assembly comprising: a latch assembly having a latch movable between an extended position and a retracted position;an interior handle assembly including an interior handle;an exterior handle assembly opposite the interior handle assembly and including an exterior handle; anda clutch mechanism including a first retractor movable in response to movement of the interior handle and selectively in response to movement of the exterior handle, the first retractor always engaged with the latch assembly to move the latch between the extended position and the retracted position, anda second retractor engageable with and disengageable from the first retractor, the second retractor engaged with the first retractor and movable in response to movement of the exterior handle to move the latch between the extended position and the retracted position via the first retractor when the lock assembly is in the unlocked state, the second retractor disengaged from and movable relative to the first retractor such that movement of the second retractor does not move the latch when the lock assembly is in the locked state. 2. The lock assembly of claim 1, wherein the first retractor is directly coupled to the latch, and wherein the second retractor is nested in the first retractor. 3. The lock assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the first retractor and the second retractor is movable in response to movement of the interior handle, and wherein the first retractor is selectively movable in response to movement of the exterior handle. 4. The lock assembly of claim 3, wherein the first retractor is movable in response to movement of the exterior handle when the lock assembly is in the unlocked state, and wherein the first retractor is not movable in response to movement of the exterior handle when the lock assembly is in the locked state. 5. The lock assembly of claim 1, further comprising an engagement mechanism coupled to the interior handle assembly and engaged with the clutch mechanism, wherein the engagement mechanism includes a button accessible from adjacent the interior handle, an elongated bar engaged with the clutch mechanism, and an actuator coupled to the elongated bar and movable in response to movement of the button to couple and decouple the second retractor relative to the first retractor. 6. The lock assembly of claim 5, wherein the first retractor includes a catch and the second retractor includes a lock element selectively engageable with the catch such that the first retractor and the second retractor are coupled relative to each other for conjoined movement when the lock assembly is in the unlocked state, and decoupled relative to each other for disjoined movement when the lock assembly is in the unlocked state. 7. The lock assembly of claim 6, wherein the actuator is engaged with the lock element to couple and decouple the second retractor relative to the first retractor, and wherein the second retractor is decoupled from the first retractor via the lock element when the lock assembly is in the locked state. 8. A lock assembly having a locked state and an unlocked state, the lock assembly comprising: a latch assembly having a latch movable between an extended position and a retracted position;an interior handle assembly including an interior handle;an exterior handle assembly opposite the interior handle assembly and including an exterior handle;a clutch mechanism including a retractor mechanism coupled to the latch assembly to move the latch between the extended position and the retracted position, the retractor mechanism including a first retractor coupled to the latch and a second retractor engageable with and disengageable from the first retractor, the second retractor selectively movable relative to the first retractor in response to movement of the exterior handle; andan engagement mechanism coupled to the interior handle assembly and the exterior handle assembly, the engagement mechanism further coupled to the retractor mechanism and selectively operable to engage and disengage the second retractor relative to the first retractor, the engagement mechanism partially defined by an actuator assembly movable in a first direction to disengage the second retractor relative to the first retractor such that rotation of the exterior handle does not move the latch to the retracted state, the actuator assembly movable in a second direction to engage the second retractor relative to the first retractor such that rotation of the exterior handle is operable to move the latch to the retracted state. 9. The lock assembly of claim 8, wherein the first retractor is directly coupled to the latch assembly, the first retractor always movable in response to movement of the interior handle assembly and the exterior handle assembly, and wherein the second retractor is coupled to the first retractor and indirectly coupled to the latch assembly via the first retractor to move the latch between the extended position and the retracted position in response to movement of the interior handle assembly, and selectively in response to movement of the exterior handle assembly. 10. The lock assembly of claim 9, wherein the clutch mechanism includes a lock element disposed in the second retractor and a catch disposed in the first retractor and engageable by the lock element to couple the second retractor to the first retractor, and wherein the actuator assembly includes an elongated bar and an actuator coupled to the elongated bar and engaged with the lock element to disengage the second retractor from the first retractor in response to movement of the actuator assembly in the first direction. 11. The lock assembly of claim 10, wherein the actuator assembly further includes a cam member engageable with the catch to engage the second retractor with the first retractor in response to movement of the actuator assembly in the second direction. 12. The lock assembly of claim 11, wherein the exterior handle assembly includes a lock cylinder that has a housing and a plug, and wherein the elongated bar is rotatable in response to rotation of the plug to engage the second retractor with the first retractor. 13. The lock assembly of claim 11, wherein the lock assembly is in the locked state when the second retractor is disengaged from the first retractor, and wherein the lock assembly is in the unlocked state when the second retractor is engaged with the first retractor. 14. The lock assembly of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the actuator assembly is movable linearly in the first direction to disengage the second retractor from the first retractor, and wherein at least a portion of the actuator assembly is rotatable in the second direction to engage the second retractor with the first retractor. 15. A lock assembly having a locked state and an unlocked state, the lock assembly comprising: a latch assembly having a latch movable between an extended position and a retracted position;an interior handle assembly coupled to the latch assembly and including an interior handle;an exterior handle assembly opposite the interior handle assembly and including an exterior handle;a clutch mechanism engaged with the latch to move the latch between the extended position and the retracted position; anda free spinning mechanism engageable with the clutch mechanism and partially defined by an alignment mechanism coupled to the exterior handle to maintain alignment of the exterior handle relative to other components of the lock assembly during rotation of the exterior handle,wherein in response to rotation of the exterior handle when the lock assembly is in the unlocked state, the clutch mechanism is operable by the exterior handle to move the latch from the extended position to the retracted position, andwherein in response to rotation of the exterior handle when the lock assembly is in the locked state, the latch remains in the extended position and the exterior handle is free to rotate 360 degrees. 16. The lock assembly of claim 15, wherein the clutch mechanism includes a spindle coupled to the exterior handle for rotation therewith, and wherein the spindle is engaged with the clutch mechanism in response to rotation of the exterior handle such that the spindle and the second retractor define a slip engagement when the exterior handle is rotated and the lock assembly is in the locked state. 17. The lock assembly of claim 15, wherein the alignment mechanism includes a rack and a pinion meshed with the rack, wherein the exterior handle assembly includes a trim piece, and wherein one of the rack and the pinion is coupled to the trim piece and the other of the rack and the pinion is coupled to the exterior handle. 18. The lock assembly of claim 17, wherein the clutch mechanism includes a first retractor directly coupled to the latch and movable in response to movement of the interior handle and the exterior handle, and a second retractor removably coupled and selectively movable relative to the first retractor in response to movement of the interior handle and the exterior handle. 19. The lock assembly of claim 17, wherein the pinion is partially defined by a free spinning portion that is engageable with the rack in response to rotation of the exterior handle when the lock assembly is in the locked state. 20. The lock assembly of claim 15, further comprising an engagement mechanism coupled to the interior handle assembly and the clutch mechanism, wherein the engagement mechanism is partially defined by an actuator assembly movable in a first direction to disengage the second retractor relative to the latch such that rotation of the exterior handle does not move the latch to the retracted state, and wherein the actuator assembly is movable in a second direction to engage the second retractor relative to the latch such that rotation of the exterior handle is operable to move the latch to the retracted state. 21. The lock assembly of claim 20, wherein the clutch mechanism further includes a lock element disposed in the second retractor and a catch disposed in the first retractor and engageable by the lock element to couple the second retractor to the first retractor, and wherein the lock element is engaged with the catch when the lock assembly is in the unlocked state, and wherein the lock element is disengaged from the catch when the lock assembly is in the locked state. 22. The lock assembly of claim 21, wherein the actuator assembly further includes an elongated bar and an actuator engaged with the lock element, wherein the lock element is disengaged from the catch in response to linear movement of the elongated bar and the actuator in the first direction, and wherein the lock element is engaged with the catch in response to rotation of the elongated bar in the second direction. 23. A lock assembly having a locked state and an unlocked state, the lock assembly comprising: a latch assembly having a latch movable between an extended position and a retracted position;an interior handle assembly coupled to the latch assembly and including an interior handle;an exterior handle assembly opposite the interior handle assembly and including an exterior handle;a clutch mechanism including a first retractor engaged with the latch to move the latch between the extended position and the retracted position, and a second retractor removably coupled to the first retractor such that the second retractor is selectively engaged with the latch; anda free spinning mechanism coupled to the exterior handle and engageable with the clutch mechanism such that in response to rotation of the exterior handle when the lock assembly is in the unlocked state, the clutch mechanism is operable by the exterior handle to move the latch from the extended position to the retracted position, and in response to rotation of the exterior handle when the lock assembly is in the locked state, the latch remains in the extended position and the exterior handle is free to rotate 360 degrees. 24. The lock assembly of claim 23, wherein the first retractor is always engaged with the latch and movable in response to movement of the interior handle assembly and the exterior handle assembly in the locked state and the unlocked state, and wherein the second retractor is movable independent of the first retractor in response to rotation of the exterior handle in the locked state. 25. The lock assembly of claim 23, wherein the clutch mechanism further includes a spindle coupled to the exterior handle for rotation therewith, and wherein the spindle is engaged with the second retractor in response to rotation of the exterior handle such that the spindle and the second retractor define a slip engagement when the exterior handle is rotated in the locked state. 26. The lock assembly of claim 23, wherein the free spinning mechanism is defined by an alignment mechanism that is coupled to the exterior handle to maintain alignment of the exterior handle relative to other components of the lock assembly during rotation of the exterior handle. 27. The lock assembly of claim 26, wherein the alignment mechanism includes a rack and a pinion meshed with the rack, and wherein the pinion is partially defined by a free spinning portion that is engageable with the rack in response to rotation of the exterior handle when the lock assembly is in the locked state. 28. The lock assembly of claim 23, wherein the clutch mechanism further includes a lock element disposed in the second retractor and a catch disposed in the first retractor and engageable by the lock element to couple the second retractor to the first retractor, and wherein the lock element is engaged with the catch when the lock assembly is in the unlocked state, and wherein the lock element is disengaged from the catch when the lock assembly is in the locked state. 29. The lock assembly of claim 28, wherein the lock assembly further includes an elongated bar and an actuator engaged with the lock element, wherein the lock element is disengaged from the catch in response to linear movement of the elongated bar and the actuator in the first direction, and wherein the lock element is engaged with the catch in response to rotation of the elongated bar in the second direction.
Hart LeRoy (Farmington CT) Miller ; deceased Theodore H. (late of New Britain CT by Cecilia B. Miller ; administratrix), Lockset having improved actuator.
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