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US 10,590,587 B2Granted
Appliance latch striker
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsJoseph M. Finney, Randy S. McDonald
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A latch system provides a latch striker including a flexible arm that can navigate a hook on the latch striker through an aperture in a corresponding latch mechanism. The aperture provides a tortuous passageway through which a hook on the latch striker must pass to activate an internal switch allowing operation of the appliance.
Claims16
A latch system for an appliance, the latch system comprising:
- a latch striker formed of a single piece of thermoplastic and having:
- (a) a base providing a mounting surface for abutment against a surface of an appliance lid of the appliance to stably support the base against the appliance lid;
- (b) an arm extending outward from the base along an arm axis;
- (c) a hook extending from an end of the arm removed from the base in a hook direction along a hook axis substantially perpendicular to the arm axis;
- and
- (d) a resilient connection joining the base and arm and allowing flexure of the arm along the hook axis from an initial position under a force along the hook axis to change an angle of the arm with respect to the base and return of the arm to the initial position after removal of the force, and resisting flexure of the arm perpendicular to both the hook axis and the arm axis under the force;
- wherein the base provides left and right extensions perpendicular to the arm axis and terminating at holes receiving mounting screws;
- and
- a latch having:
- (a) a housing providing a mounting surface for stably supporting the housing against an appliance lid-receiving portion of the appliance;
- (b) an electrical switch contained in the housing for actuation by the hook of the latch striker;
- and
- (c) an aperture for receiving the arm and hook therethrough, the aperture requiring a flexure of the resilient connection along the hook axis, as the hook moves through the aperture, to actuate the electrical switch.
10 more elements
A latch striker formed of a single piece of thermoplastic and comprising:
- (a) a base providing a mounting surface for abutment against a surface of an appliance lid to stably support the base against the appliance lid;
- (b) an arm including an arm offset portion extending outwardly from a torsion bar joining the base and the arm, the arm offset portion extending outwardly from the torsion bar in a first direction to a location that is transversely offset from the abutment of the mounting surface of the base against the surface of the appliance lid, and the arm further including an arm main portion extending outwardly from the torsion bar in a second direction that defines an arm axis, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction;
- and
- (c) a hook extending from an end of the arm removed from the base in a hook direction along a hook axis substantially perpendicular to the arm axis;
- wherein the torsion bar allows flexure of the arm along the hook axis from an initial position under a force along the hook axis to change an angle of the hook axis with respect to the base and return of the arm to the initial position after removal of the force, and resisting flexure of the arm perpendicular to both the hook axis and the arm axis under the force;
- and
- wherein the torsion bar extends from a proximal end of the arm perpendicular to the hook axis and the arm axis.
4 more elements
A latch striker formed of a single piece of thermoplastic and comprising:
- (a) a base providing a mounting surface for abutment against a surface of an appliance lid to stably support the base against the appliance lid;
- (b) an arm extending outward from the base along an arm axis;
- (c) a hook extending from an end of the arm removed from the base in a hook direction along a hook axis substantially perpendicular to the arm axis;
- and
- (d) a resilient connection joining the base and arm and allowing flexure of the arm along the hook axis from an initial position under a force along the hook axis to change an angle of the hook axis with respect to the base and return of the arm to the initial position after removal of the force, and resisting flexure of the arm perpendicular to both the hook axis and the arm axis under the force;
- wherein the base and arm further provide stop elements extending on either side of the arm axis to positively stop flexure of the arm beyond a predetermined range;
- wherein the stop elements comprise fingers extending along the arm axis, and shoulders abutting axial ends of the fingers with flexure of the arm to stop the flexure of the arm beyond the predetermined range, and wherein the fingers and shoulders are located on opposite ones of the base and arm.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.