Is the popping thing a lock?

[Aponi]

The doorknob on all the rooms inside my house have a keyhole that is circular, as if a thumbtack pricked the metal to form the hole during manufacturing. The key consists of a thick brass wire, that, when inserted, presses a "button" that pops the lock, and it opens.
I have been trying to label it as a certain kind of lock, (like "lever, pin tumbler, tubular, warded, etc), and I can't label it. It is un-label-able. I'm not even sure that it can be classified as a lock.
Is it? What category does it belong in?
I'm not sure...

Dictionary.com says a lock is;

a device for securing a door, gate, lid, drawer, or the like in position when closed, consisting of a bolt or system of bolts propelled and withdrawn by a mechanism operated by a key, dial, etc.

So... The popping mechanism for unlocking the door,
Is that a lock? What is it, exactly?
Does that make sense?

[MBI]

It's called a privacy lock. When a locksmith is buying knobs for a house, they are usually categorized as:
Entry (keyed)
Privacy (the kind you describe, usually used for bathrooms)
Passage (no lock of any kind)

As to how you'd classify a privacy lock, I'd have to say... cheap. It's not designed for security. It's designed to keep people from accidentally walking in on you with your pants down.

[Aponi]

Thank you sooo much. XD

[Gelmar]

I have a which are similar which need to be opened with a small flat head screw driver. Which makes me think of the "privacy" locks sargent gave us (the hospital) for the patients bathrooms to make them feel like they can lock themselves in there. The key is a particularly long blank. I've had to use it twice with....uncooperative people.

[FFVison]

I remember as a kid that my brother tried locking me out of a room in an attempt to cheat at a game of house-wide hide-and-seek by locking one of these doors. I remembered figuring it out at some point and just used the top of a hanger to pop the lock. I have also used other devices like a ball point pen refill to pop these types of locks.

[digital_blue]

I dunno... this sounds like a topic for advanced forums...


j/k

[Gordon Airporte]

I dunno... this sounds like a topic for advanced forums...

Well since the thread is going to be moved to the advanced section anyway, I might as well tell everybody that these locks can be bypassed by taking a 5.35" long piece of tubing with a .10" OD, putting one end in the hole and the other around the tip of a funnel, pouring black powder into the hole, and then igniting it. I like Tygon tubing for this application.

[guest5999]

a boot and/or credit card also work pretty well...

[MBI]

Well since the thread is going to be moved to the advanced section anyway, I might as well tell everybody that these locks can be bypassed by taking a 5.35" long piece of tubing with a .10" OD, putting one end in the hole and the other around the tip of a funnel, pouring black powder into the hole, and then igniting it. I like Tygon tubing for this application.

Quit trying to fool the newbies. We all know that you should use thermite, not black powder. Oh, and don't forget to prep the components with a hairdryer first.

[Duo 9]

I somehow got a screwdriver stuck in a privacy lock and the door wouldn't turn all the way with it in until I pried it out. Having never seen the inside of one I don't know what exactly happened.