Load-Floor Latch
AssigneeSouthco, Inc.
InventorsFabrice Vitry, Colin Latham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A latch having a housing, handle, actuators pawl and rotary pawl torsion spring and two actuator torsion springs. The rotary pawl torsion spring biases the pawl toward the unlatched or opened position. The handle is pivotally attached to the housing and has two paddles tat engage the actuator. The actuator is slidably supported by the housing. Lifting the handle to the open position causes rotating movement of the actuator which in turn causes the pawl to rotate to the unlatched or retracted position.
Claims9
A latch for releasably securing a first closure member to a second closure member in a latched position, the latch comprising:
- a housing adapted for being received in an aperture formed in the first closure member;
- a handle pivotally attached to the housing, the handle being pivotable between an open and a closed position, the handle having at least one protuberance;
- a pawl provided on the housing, the pawl being pivotable between a latched and an unlatched position,
- a pawl biasing means for biasing the pawl toward the unlatched position;
- and
- an actuator connected to the housing, the actuator having at least one paddle for engagement with the at least one protuberance of the handle when the handle is pivoted from the closed position and an arm for engagement and disengagement with the pawl;
- whereby pivotal movement of the handle when the pawl is in the latched position provides for engagement of the at least one protuberance of the handle with the at least one paddle of the actuator such that the actuator is displaced and the arm of the actuator disengages the pawl thus permitting the biasing force of the pawl biasing device to rotate the pawl to the unlatched position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.