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US 2015/0145263 A1Published application
Vehicle hood latches
AssigneeGecom Corporation
InventorsBryan Farris, Brian Kepler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Latches including a slot having a length that allows a striker of the latch to move from a normal closed position downwardly toward the closed bottom of the slot into an over travel position.
Claims20
A latch comprising:
- a housing having a fishmouth, the fishmouth defining a length between an open top end of the fishmouth and a closed bottom end of the fishmouth,
- a ratchet,
- a pawl, and
- a striker,
- wherein the striker is received within the fishmouth;
- and
- wherein the ratchet and the pawl cooperate to selectively retain the striker in the fishmouth, the ratchet movable between a closed position wherein the striker is retained in the fishmouth and an open position wherein the striker is free to exit the fishmouth, the pawl moving between a locking position wherein the pawl keeps the ratchet in the closed position and an unlocked position wherein the pawl permits movement of the ratchet out of the closed position, the ratchet being biased to the open position and the pawl being biased to the locking position;
- and
- wherein the pawl includes a lower appendage that blocks the ratchet from moving past the closed position, thereby retaining the striker in the closed position, the closed position being an intermediate position between the open top end and the closed bottom end of the fishmouth.
6 more elements
A latch comprising
- a housing having a fishmouth, the fishmouth defining a length between an open top end of the fishmouth and a closed bottom end of the fishmouth,
- a ratchet,
- a primary pawl,
- a secondary pawl, and
- a striker arranged to be received within the fishmouth;
- and
- wherein the latch is movable between a fully closed position where the ratchet and the primary pawl cooperate to selectively retain the striker in the fishmouth, a partially closed position where the ratchet and the secondary pawl cooperate to selectively retain the striker in the fishmouth, and an open position where the striker is free to move out of the fishmouth.
4 more elements
A method of latching comprising the steps of:
- providing a housing defining a slot having an open top, a closed bottom and a length between the open top and the closed bottom,
- operably attaching together the housing and a primary pawl such that the primary pawl is arranged to move between a primary locked position and an primary unlocked position,
- operably attaching together the housing and a ratchet,
- receiving within the slot a striker,
- seating the striker within the ratchet in a closed position,
- retaining the ratchet in the closed position, and
- allowing the ratchet to release the striker to travel downwardly from the closed position to an over travel position.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.