Method and device for sensing a striker within a rotary latch
AssigneeSouthco, Inc.
InventorChristian Alberto Diaz Chinchillas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A latch assembly includes a frame and a pawl including a surface for receiving a striker and being movably coupled to the frame between an open and a closed position. A trigger is mounted to the frame and is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein, in the locked position of the trigger, the trigger is positioned to retain the pawl in the closed position. A striker bar is movably coupled to the trigger and is positioned to be contacted by the striker, wherein the striker bar is configured to move in the course of moving the striker into the pawl. A device for sensing a position of the striker bar, wherein the position of the striker bar is indicative of the position of the striker and the position of the trigger.
Claims18
A latch assembly comprising:
- a frame;
- a pawl including a surface for receiving a striker and being movably coupled to the frame between an open and a closed position, wherein, in the closed position, the pawl is positioned to retain the striker to the latch assembly, and, in the open position, the pawl is not positioned to retain the striker to the latch assembly;
- a trigger that is mounted to the frame and is movable between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein, in the locked position of the trigger, the trigger is positioned to retain the pawl in the closed position;
- a striker bar that is movably coupled to the trigger and is positioned to be contacted by the striker, wherein the striker bar is configured to move in the course of moving the striker into the pawl;
- and
- means for sensing a position of the striker bar, wherein the position of the striker bar is indicative of the position of the striker and the position of the trigger.
A method for sensing the presence of a striker within a latch assembly, wherein the latch assembly includes (i) a frame, (ii) a pawl that is movably coupled to the frame between an open position and a closed position and includes a surface for receiving the striker, (iii) a trigger that is mounted to the frame and is movable to a locked position for retaining the pawl in the closed position and thereby retaining the striker within the latch assembly, and (iv) a striker bar that is movably coupled to the trigger, said method comprising:
- sensing the presence of the striker bar when the striker moves the striker bar relative to the trigger, wherein the presence of the striker bar indicates that the pawl moved to the closed position and the trigger moved to the locked position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.