Door locking assembly

A locking assembly for a semi-trailer having two opposing elongated side walls, a floor extending between respective lower ends of the two opposing elongated side walls, a roof extending between respective upper ends of the two opposing elongated side walls, a front wall extending between respective forward ends of the two opposing elongated side walls and between respective forward ends of the floor and the roof, a rear frame non-movably attached to respective rearward ends of the two opposing elongated side walls, a rearward end of the roof, and a rearward end of the floor, and a pair of doors attached to the rear frame, wherein the two opposing elongated side walls, the floor, the roof, and the front wall define an interior of the semi-trailer, and wherein a first door of the pair of doors is pivotally attached at an edge of the first door to a vertical portion of the rear frame at one of the two opposing elongated side walls and a second door of the pair of doors is pivotally attached at an edge of the second door to a vertical portion of the rear frame at the other of the two opposing elongated side walls, the locking assembly comprising:

• an elongated lock rod having an axis of elongation;
• at least one bracket attached to the first door and extending about the lock rod so that the lock rod is retained proximate the first door in a vertical orientation and so that the lock rod is rotatable about the axis of elongation;
• a first keeper attached to the rear frame of the semi-trailer;
• a first latch member attached to the lock rod so that the first latch member rotates with the lock rod, wherein in a first rotational position of the lock rod when the first door is in a closed position on the rear frame at which the first door closes an opening to the interior, the first latch member engages the first keeper so that the lock rod retains the first door in the closed position, and wherein in a second rotational position of the lock rod rotationally offset from the first rotational position, the first latch member disengages from the first keeper so that the first door is pivotable from the closed position to an open position in which the first door is adjacent an outer surface of one of the two opposing elongated side walls;
• a handle attached to the lock rod so that rotation of the handle about the axis of elongation rotates the lock rod about the axis of elongation, wherein the handle has a first end pivotally attached to the lock rod about a horizontal axis so that the handle is pivotable with respect to the lock rod in a vertical direction;
• a second latch member attached to the handle at the horizontal axis so that the second latch member rotates with the handle and about the horizontal axis;
• and
• a second keeper disposed at an elongated bottom rail that extends between the front wall and the rear frame and to which the one side wall and the floor attach, wherein the second keeper is disposed on the bottom rail so that the second keeper receives the second latch member when the handle is disposed at a first rotational position about the horizontal axis and that retains the second latch member, and therefore retains the first door adjacent the one side wall, when the handle is disposed at a second rotational position about the horizontal axis.

A locking assembly for a semi-trailer having two opposing elongated side walls, a floor extending between respective lower ends of the two opposing elongated side walls, a roof extending between respective upper ends of the two opposing elongated side walls, a front wall extending between respective forward ends of the two opposing elongated side walls and between respective forward ends of the floor and the roof, a rear frame non-movably attached to respective rearward ends of the two opposing elongated side walls, a rearward end of the roof, and a rearward end of the floor, and a pair of doors attached to the rear frame, wherein the two opposing elongated side walls, the floor, the roof, and the front wall define an interior of the semi-trailer, and wherein a first door of the pair of doors is pivotally attached at an edge of the first door to a vertical portion of the rear frame at one of the two opposing elongated side walls and a second door of the pair of doors is pivotally attached at an edge of the second door to a vertical portion of the rear frame at the other of the two opposing elongated side walls, the locking assembly comprising:

• an elongated lock rod having an axis of elongation;
• at least one bracket attached to the first door and extending about the lock rod so that the lock rod is retained proximate the first door in a vertical orientation and so that the lock rod is rotatable about the axis of elongation;
• a first keeper attached to the rear frame of the semi-trailer;
• a first latch member attached to the lock rod so that the first latch member rotates with the lock rod, wherein in a first rotational position of the lock rod when the first door is in a closed position on the rear frame at which the first door closes an opening to the interior, the first latch member engages the first keeper so that the lock rod retains the first door in the closed position, and wherein in a second rotational position of the lock rod rotationally offset from the first rotational position, the first latch member disengages from the first keeper so that the first door is pivotable from the closed position;
• a second latch member attached to the lock rod so that rotation of the second latch member about the axis of elongation rotates the lock rod about the axis of elongation;
• and
• a second keeper attached to the first door by an attachment of the second keeper to the at least one bracket,
• wherein the second latch member is receivable into the second keeper so that the second keeper retains the second latch member adjacent to the first door, and
• wherein the second latch member is connected to the lock rod at a position so that when the second latch member is received by the second keeper, the lock rod is in the first rotational position.