Latch assembly
AssigneeRugby Manufacturing Company
InventorVincent J. Scherr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A latch assembly for a tailgate of a truck includes a striker plate, a clasp, a handle, and a fastening mechanism. The clasp is attached to the striker plate and defines a first pivot point. The handle includes a first free end and a second anchored end. The second anchored end is attached to the clasp and defines a second pivot point. The first free end of the handle moves about the both the first pivot point and the second pivot point. The first free end is secured by a spring clip of the fastening mechanism to latch the tailgate of the truck.
Claims20
A latch assembly for a tailgate on a truck, the tailgate including a shaft extending perpendicular from a top of the tailgate, the latch assembly comprising:
- a striker plate including a first notch partially surrounding the shaft of the tailgate;
- a clasp including a second notch sized to partially surrounds the shaft of the tailgate, the clasp attached to the striker plate and defining a first pivot point;
- a handle including a first free end and a second anchored end, the second anchored end attached to the clasp and defining a second pivot point;
- and
- a fastening mechanism attached to the striker plate, wherein the first free end of the handle moves about both the first pivot point and the second pivot point, the first free end secured by a spring member of the fastening mechanism to latch the tailgate of the truck.
A latch assembly comprising:
- a L-shaped striker plate including a back plate attached to a base plate at a first approximately right angle;
- a U-shaped bracket attached to the back plate at an end opposite the first approximately right angle, the attachment between the back plate and the U-shaped bracket defining a horizontal axis, the U-shaped bracket extending from the back plate parallel to the base plate;
- a handle including a projection and a jaw, the projection having a first free end and a second anchored end attached to the jaw, the jaw attached to the U-shaped bracket and defining a vertical axis;
- and
- a fastening mechanism attached to the striker plate adjacent the first approximately right angle, the fastening mechanism including a spring clip, wherein the first free end of the projection moves about the both the horizontal axis and the vertical axis, the free end releasably secured by the spring member.
A latch assembly comprising:
- a striker plate including a back plate, a base plate, a guide plate, and a screw bracket, the back plate and the base plate joined at a first approximately right angle, the back plate having a first notch at an end opposite the first approximately right angle, the guide plate extending at a second approximately right angle from the back plate, the guide plate having a second notch at an end opposite the second approximately right angle, and the screw bracket extending between the back plate, the base plate and the guide plate;
- a clasp including a U-shaped bracket and a clasp plate having a third notch, the U-shaped bracket having two arms, each arm extending at third approximately right angles from a flat center portion, the flat center portion attached to a first end of the clasp plate, a second end of the clasp plate attached to the back plate of the striker plate and defining a first pivot point, and the U-shaped bracket extends from the clasp plate parallel to the guide plate and the base plate;
- a handle including a projection and a jaw, the projection having a first free end and a second anchored end attached to a center of the jaw, the jaw having an upper jaw and a lower jaw extending from either side of the center, the upper jaw attached to one arm of the U-shaped bracket, and the lower jaw attached to the other arm of the U-shaped bracket, the attachment between the U-shaped bracket and the jaw defining a second pivot point;
- and
- a fastening mechanism attached to the screw bracket, the fastening mechanism including a spring clip having a resilient opening that expands to receive the first free end of the projection and contracts to retain the first free end of the projection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.