Locking handle and power module assembly

A locking assembly for a truck bed closure comprising a wall having an aperture therethrough, the locking assembly comprising:

• an exterior handle body having a gripping portion and a shaft portion;
• a bushing having an external profile configured to fit in said aperture, and an exterior flange configured to engage an external face of said wall, said bushing having a central passage through which said shaft portion extends, and said external profile having a threaded portion;
• an anti-rotation washer having an internal profile configured to non-rotationally engage said external profile of said bushing, and including a plurality of teeth extending from an exterior perimeter thereof and at least one wedging element configured to match a flat portion of said external profile of said bushing;
• a bushing nut threadably received on said threaded portion of said external profile and bearing against said anti-rotation washer to drive said wedge between said external profile of said bushing and said closure panel within the aperture therethrough;
• and
• said external profile of said bushing further including a groove portion at an interior end thereof, and a dust cap being provided over said interior end which removably engages said groove portion.

A locking assembly for a truck bed closure having a wall, the locking assembly comprising:

• a bushing configured to be supported on a wall of a truck closure, said bushing including a bushing wall defining a bore therein and transverse passages extending through said bushing wall;
• a handle assembly comprising an exterior handle which is manually rotatable, a rotatable shaft rotatably supported in said bore and connected to said handle for rotation therewith, and a key cylinder rotatably mounted within an interior of the shaft so as to be rotatable relative to said shaft to effect locking and locking of said handle assembly, said shaft including a slide passage, and a slide bolt mounted within said slide passage, wherein said slide passage is alignable with said transverse passages when said shaft is in a first rotary position and misaligned when in a second rotary position, and said slide bolt is slidable between a locked position with said slide bolt engaged with a said transverse passage of said bushing when said shaft is in said first rotary position and an unlocked position wherein said slide bolt is disengaged from any of said transverse passages of said bushing to permit rotation of said shaft to said second rotary position, and said key cylinder engaging said slide bolt to effect sliding movement thereof in response to rotation of said key cylinder to one of said locked or unlocked positions;
• and
• a power module configured for attachment to an interior end of the handle assembly, the power module including a mounting frame supported on said bushing and a drive plate movable with respect to the mounting frame between a locking position and an unlocking position, said drive plate including a slide bolt locking projection and a slide bolt unlocking projection which are alternately insertable into respective ones of said transverse passages when in said respective locking and unlocking positions to drive said slide bolt in reversible directions and move said slide bolt respectively between said locked and unlocked positions upon movement of said drive plate.

A locking mechanism for a truck bed closure having a wall, the locking assembly comprising:

• a bushing configured to be non-rotatably supported on a wall of a truck closure, said bushing including a bushing wall defining a bore therein and transverse passages extending through said bushing wall;
• a handle assembly comprising an exterior handle which is manually rotatable, a rotatable shaft rotatably supported in said bore and connected to said handle for rotation therewith, said shaft being operably connected to a latch mechanism wherein rotation of said shaft effects a release of said latch mechanism, said shaft including a slide passage, and a slide bolt mounted within said slide passage, wherein said slide passage is alignable with said transverse passages when said shaft is in a first rotary position and misaligned when in a second rotary position, and said slide bolt is slidable between a locked position with said slide bolt engaged with a said transverse passage of said bushing when said shaft is in said first rotary position and an unlocked position wherein said slide bolt is disengaged from any of said transverse passages of said bushing to permit rotation of said shaft to said second rotary position;
• a manual lock mechanism mounted in said handle assembly which engages said slide bolt to effect sliding movement thereof to one of said locked or unlocked positions in response to manual actuation of said lock mechanism;
• and
• a manual release mechanism which is supported on said shaft and effects release of said latch mechanism in the absence of movement of said shaft and without regard to said slide bolt being in said locked position or said unlocked position, said release mechanism being accessible from an interior of said truck closure.

A locking assembly for a truck bed closure having a wall, the locking assembly comprising:

• a bushing configured to be non-rotatably supported on a wall of a truck closure, said bushing including a bushing wall defining a bore therein, and having a radial extension arm which projects radially from said bushing wall, said extension arm having opposite interior and exterior faces which respectively face toward and away from a wall of a closure to which said bushing is mountable, said extension arm having a stop projection projecting inwardly beyond said interior face toward an exterior surface of said truck closure for seating within a cavity of said wall of said truck closure to prevent rotation of said bushing relative to said truck closure;
• a handle assembly comprising an exterior handle which is manually rotatable and a rotatable shaft projecting from said handle and rotatably supported in said bore to permit rotation of said handle therewith, said handle projecting over said exterior face of said extension arm, and said shaft being operably connected to a latch mechanism wherein rotation of said shaft effects a release of said latch mechanism;
• and
• a bushing connector which is engaged with said bushing and fixedly engages said wall of said closure to prevent removal of said bushing therefrom while said stop projection of said extension arm prevents rotation of said bushing.

A locking assembly for a truck bed closure having a wall, the locking assembly comprising:

• a bushing configured to be non-rotatably supported on a wall of a truck closure, said bushing including a bushing wall defining a bushing bore therein;
• and
• a handle assembly comprising an exterior handle, which is manually rotatable and has an outer handle face, and comprising a rotatable handle shaft projecting from said handle and rotatably supported in said bushing bore to permit rotation of said handle, said shaft being operably connected to a latch mechanism wherein rotation of said shaft effects operation of said latch mechanism, and said shaft including a cylinder bore formed in said shaft and having an outer bore end opening through said outer handle face, said shaft further including a key cylinder rotatably mounted within said cylinder bore in engagement with said latch mechanism and accessible through said outer bore end for operation by a key to lock and unlock said latch mechanism, said key cylinder including an outer cylinder end face disposed in said bore and facing outwardly from said outer bore end;
• said handle assembly further including a cover which is rotatably supported on said handle by a pivot connection, said cover being rotatable between a covering, closed position wherein said cover overlies said outer bore end and said cylinder end face so as to be in contact with said outer handle face, and an open position wherein said cover is rotated to uncover said outer bore end and provide access to said cylinder end face, said pivot connection permitting rotation of said cover while lifting said cover outwardly away from said outer handle face in response to said rotation.