Universal latch assembly to allow selective latch handle orientations

A latch assembly comprising:

• a paddle lever having a rearwardly extending actuator flange, the paddle lever being manually rotatable between latched and unlatched conditions;
• a striker/latch subassembly which includes a strike plate defining a latch opening and a latch bolt having a latch stem and a latch pin extending forwardly from the latch stem;
• and
• an actuator subassembly operatively interconnecting the paddle lever and the striker/latch subassembly, wherein the actuator subassembly comprises:
• (i) a closeout plate defining an arcuate guide slot, wherein the paddle lever is connected to the closeout plate to allow for manual pivotal movements between the latched and unlatched conditions thereof;
• and
• (ii) a rotary disc rotationally connected to the closeout plate to as to be rotationally moveable about a central rotary axis thereof, the rotary disc including:
• (a) a fixed actuator pin extending forwardly from the rotary disc and being operatively engaged with the actuator flange of the paddle lever when the paddle lever is manually rotated into the unlatched condition thereof;
• and
• (b) a circumferentially spaced apart set of arcuate spirally patterned cam slots each adapted to receive the latch pin of the striker/latch subassembly and thereby define a respective different orientation position of the paddle lever, wherein
• pivotal movement of the paddle lever from the latched condition into the unlatched condition responsively engages the actuator flange with the fixed actuator pin to thereby cause rotation of the actuator plate about the rotary axis thereof and movement of the latch pin within a selected one of the arcuate spirally patterned cam slots in which the fixed actuator pins is received to thereby retract the latch bolt from the strike plate.