Window latch

A latch for use in a window comprising a top sash and a bottom sash slidably mounted in a window frame, the latch comprising:

• a housing comprising a faceplate, a pair of opposed sidewalls, each sidewall defining a pawl mounting recess, a bottom wall extending between the sidewalls, an aperture defined by the faceplate that opens into a first cavity defined by the housing, and a first and second retention arm disposed within the first cavity, each retention arm comprising a proximal end adjacent the bottom wall and a distal end extending both toward the face plate and inwardly toward a longitudinal center plane of the housing;
• and
• a pawl pivotably received in the first recess, the pawl comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, an engagement surface, a first and second retention recess formed on opposing sides of the pawl, and a pair of mounting pins disposed on opposing sides of the pawl, each mounting pin being pivotally received in one of the pawl mounting recesses, the pawl being selectively pivotable between a first position in which the top surface is coplanar with the faceplate and a second position in which the pawl extends beyond the faceplate such that the engagement surface is transverse to the faceplate,
• wherein the distal end of each retention arm is configured to engage a respective retention recess to maintain the pawl in the first position and to engage the bottom surface of the pawl to maintain the pawl in the second position.

A latch for use in a window comprising a top sash and a bottom sash slidably mounted in a window frame, the latch being installed in the top sash and comprising:

• a housing comprising a faceplate, a pair of opposed sidewalls, a bottom wall extending between the sidewalls, a pair of opposed end walls, a center wall disposed between the end walls defining a first cavity is between the center wall and a first of the end walls and a second cavity disposed between the center wall and a second of the end walls, an aperture defined by the faceplate that opens into the first and second cavities, and a first and a second retention arm disposed within the first cavity, the first and second retention arms comprising a proximal end adjacent the bottom wall and a distal end extending both toward the faceplate and inwardly toward a longitudinal center plane of the house;
• and
• a pawl pivotably received in the first recess, the pawl comprising a top surfaces an engagement surface, and a first and a second retention recess formed on opposite sides of the pawl, the pawl being pivotable between a first position in which the top surface is coplanar with the faceplate and a second position in which the pawl extends beyond the faceplate such that the engagement surface is transverse to the faceplate, wherein the second cavity is configured such that a user can grasp the latch by the second cavity and move the respective sash within the window frames,
• wherein the distal ends of the first and second retention arms engage the first and second retention recesses when the pawl is in the first position, thereby retaining the pawl in the first position.