Releasable locking mechanism for a refrigerated appliance

A refrigerated unit, comprising:

• a cabinet forming an opening for access to an interior space;
• a door supported by the cabinet and configured for allowing selective access by movement of the door between an open position and a closed position;
• a locking mechanism for securing the door in the closed position, the locking mechanism comprising
• a deadbolt movable along a lock axis between a retracted position and an extended position, the deadbolt preventing opening of the door when in the extended position;
• a latch plate positioned near the deadbolt when the door is in a closed position, the latch plate defining an aperture for receipt of the deadbolt when in the extended position, the latch plate movable along a direction parallel to the lock axis between i) an engaged position where the deadbolt can move along the lock axis in and out of the aperture and ii) a disengaged position where the deadbolt cannot be positioned into the aperture;
• and
• a pin positioned near the latch plate, the pin configured for linear movement along a direction orthogonal to the lock axis between an i) activated state where the latch plate is prevented from moving to the engaged position and ii) a deactivated state where the latch plate is not prevented from being in the engaged position;
• at least one latch biasing element connected with the cabinet and configured to urge the latch plate into the engaged position;
• a pin support bracket carried on the door near the pin;
• and
• at least one guide rod extending from the pin support bracket towards the pin and through a guide hole in the latch plate such that latch plate rides along the at least one guide rod when moving between the engaged position and the disengaged position.