Apparatus for securing cupboards and drawers during an earthquake or other seismic events and for child-safety

An apparatus for securing a cover for a defined area during movement from an earthquake comprising:

• a housing with a front end and a rear end;
• the housing has two vertical upright walls that are interconnected at the rear end of the housing;
• near the front end of the housing, there is at least one tab, which is bent or oriented relatively perpendicular to the vertical upright walls;
• said at least one tab allows the first end of the housing to be mounted to a first surface within said defined area;
• each vertical upright wall has at least one slot;
• a crossbar pivotally engages and rotates within said at least one slot of said vertical upright walls;
• a latch arm has a first latch end and a second latch end;
• the second latch end rotatably engages the crossbar;
• and
• a receiving member, which is mounted on a second surface within the defined area;
• whereby upon movement of the first mounting surface, the first end of the latch arm moves from a first unlocked position to a second locked position;
• in the second locked position, the first end of the latch arm engages the receiving member, which secures the cover for a defined area during movement from an earthquake.

An apparatus for securing a cover for a defined area during a movement from an earthquake comprising:

• a housing, which has a first vertical housing member and a second vertical housing member and
• a central housing member;
• a central housing member connects the first and the second vertical members;
• the first and the second vertical members have a top end and a bottom end and an opening between the top end and bottom end;
• at the top end of the vertical members of the housing, there is a latch arm support, which is oriented relatively perpendicular to the first and the second vertical housing members;
• a pivoting latch arm with a first latch arm end and a second latch arm end;
• an axle is positioned between the first and the second vertical members;
• the housing is mounted to a first mounting surface;
• a receiving structure, which is mounted to a second mounting surface;
• the second latch arm end is able to freely rotate around the axle from a first position to a second position;
• the first end of the latch arm is able to engage the latch arm support in the first position;
• the first end of the latch arm is able to engage the receiving piece in the second position;
• whereby said earthquake movement causes the pivoting latch arm to move from the first position and to the second position and to engage said receiving piece and to secure the cover for a defined area during the earthquake movement.