Latch assembly
AssigneeInteva Products, LLC
InventorIan J. Dow
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A latch having a fork bolt and a detent lever is provided. The detent lever moves between an engaged position, wherein the detent lever engages the fork bolt and a disengaged position wherein the detent lever is disengaged from the fork bolt. A first spring acts on the detent lever, the first spring has a first biasing position wherein the detent lever is biased into the engaged position and has a second biasing position wherein the detent lever is biased into the disengaged position. The first spring moves between the first biasing position and the second biasing position during unlatching of the latch and the first spring is in the first biasing position during latching of the latch.
Claims3
A method of operating a latch comprising:
- rotating a fork bolt between an open position and a closed position;
- moving a detent lever between an engaged position and a disengaged position;
- engaging the detent lever with the fork bolt when the detent lever is in the engaged position;
- disengaging the detent lever from the fork bolt when the detent lever is in the disengaged position;
- biasing the detent lever in a first bias position where the detent lever is biased in the engaged position and in a second bias position where the detent lever is biased in the disengaged position, wherein the detent lever is biased in the first bias position and the second bias position during unlatching of the latch, and the detent lever is biased in the first bias position during latching of the latch;
- and
- biasing the fork bolt towards the open position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.